Despite all the talk about the dwindling support for the Democratic Party, the formation of the so-called ruling coalition between the government and the party's two main rivals could prove a blessing in disguise for the party.
Compared with a survey conducted in March, voters' support for the Democrats bounced back in an August poll. Support for the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong and the Liberal Party fell markedly.
The past six months has seen a strategic change, with the DAB and the Liberals increasingly moving towards a new partnership with the government. On July 1, their party leaders, Tsang Yok-sing and James Tien Pei-chun, were sworn into the Executive Council as ministers without portfolio.
Under the vaguely defined game rules, the two parties will be allowed greater input on the formulation of policies before decisions are taken. In return, they are expected to provide a more stable source of support for government policies in the Legislative Council.
The strategy can hardly be dismissed as fundamentally flawed for political parties striving to make themselves more relevant under a ministerial system. There is a high risk, however, that the DAB and the Liberals will lose their voices and identities.
It is hardly a coincidence that support for the two parties dropped at about the same time as the popularity ratings of Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa and the government hit new lows.
