I WAS shocked to hear Mr Szeto Wah, the so-called ''Democratic Warrior'', argue for the abolition of the death penalty, then in the same Legislative Council meeting, call for a referendum on electoral arrangements.
I wondered if he had forgotten the result of the public poll on the death penalty conducted by Social Science Research Centre of Hongkong University last year which found about 75 per cent of the public wanted the death penalty to remain.
Why did Mr Szeto make a stand for democratic rights in one breath, then in the next oppose the majority view of the people? I used to believe in the justice of law that makes everyone stand equal. Now I find it difficult to convince myself that atrocious criminals are exempted from execution at the expense of innocent lives.
Where is the justice in this? Abolition imposes a constitutional confrontation with the sovereign state, blocking smooth transition with an extra hurdle. I can't find any logic in worries that the future SAR government will abuse the death penalty.
It is nonsense to make laws to protect our judicially unpredictable future without securing our present safety. JO JO LEUNG New Territories