'Universal suffrage' and 'democracy' were the cries of thousands who have marched in Hong Kong on July 1 every year since 2003. These demands were heard again last week. But if they were answered, no one said what the next step should be. There are cries for a 'timetable' for democracy - but a timetable would be no more than dates on a page if the steps to take were not described.
I have quoted Deng Xiaoping before and it is worth saying again: 'You have to feel for the stones when you cross a river.' We should feel for the stones as we enter the broad river of democracy.
The Business and Professionals Federation of Hong Kong last year proposed a way forward - the next step in our advance to the goal of universal suffrage. We said it lies in the further development of the current governance system of the Legislative Council.
This would be done by separating the directly elected and functional representatives into two chambers. That would allow the directly elected members to discuss and debate on their own, and the functional representatives then to deliberate separately on the other group's conclusion.
Why do this? What are the advantages? First, it would enable the directly elected half to be enlarged, and to debate freely. Second, the functional group would provide a check and balance, protecting the interests of the economy and its vital business interests.
Writing about liberty, philosopher John Stuart Mill said: 'In political speculations, the tyranny of the majority is now generally included among the evils against which society requires to be on guard.' At this stage in our constitutional development, we need the functional constituency representatives to provide this guardian role.