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Building bridges

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Three months ago, Tsang Yok-sing, then the chairman of the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong, proposed the setting up of a round-table forum for mainland-Hong Kong dialogue on the democratic development of the city, citing the success of the Basic Law consultative committee in the 1980s. His idea received a positive response from the community.

Separately, members of the Democratic Development Network have initiated discussions with tycoons and people from different walks of life on the issue of universal suffrage. Another pro-democracy lobby, the Power for Democracy, has published its own consultative paper listing different options for electoral arrangements for the chief executive and the legislature. Spearheaded by tycoon Ronnie Chan Chi-chung, the newly-formed Hong Kong Development Forum has brought prominent tycoon Sir Gordon Wu Ying-sheung and unionist Lee Cheuk-yan face-to-face on the issue of a welfare state and universal suffrage.

More recently, Christine Loh Kung-wai of the think-tank Civic Exchange wrote in this newspaper that a constitutional convention, perhaps an updated version of the Basic Law consultative body, must be the way forward for 'civil and meaningful dialogue' on post-2007 election methods.

These are some of the initiatives over the past few months from people representing different political views to build a community-based forum and enter discussions on the specifics of the political system.

Their efforts, however, have proved futile as the debate on democratisation has gone nowhere. More than two months after the government set up a taskforce on political development, there has been no effective forum or an environment conducive to calm and rational discussion. Signs abound that Beijing will intensify a battle for public opinion through the media to reassert its stance on the fundamental principles relating to democracy and, more importantly, the essence of patriotism and the 'one country' principle.

On Thursday, Deng Xiaoping's remarks on patriotism were reissued by Xinhua, together with a commentary. It was followed by a strongly worded editorial in the China Daily singling out for attack some people in power over their alleged unpatriotic words and deeds. Mr Chan and an Executive Council member, Cheng Yiu-tong, were interviewed by Xinhua on the 'one country' concept.

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