A 'friend of Beijing' pushing democracy is significant, he says
Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee's sabbatical at Stanford University afforded her a period of 'open-minded intellectual reflection' which led her to conclude Hong Kong needed the early introduction of universal suffrage, says the mentor for her master's thesis.
Larry Diamond said Mrs Ip 'has been on a political and intellectual journey that has led her to a sincere conviction that Hong Kong needs to move forward expeditiously to full democracy'.
'It's of enormous and historic significance that you have a respected friend of Beijing, someone who is decidedly not a China-basher, making this case,' said the professor, who is renowned for his work on comparative studies of democracy.
In a summary of her thesis published in nearly all Hong Kong's major newspapers on Tuesday, Mrs Ip highlights the 'debilitating disconnect' between the executive and legislative branches. She recommends amending the Basic Law to restore the link between the two government branches, and argues that an administration with substantial party support in the legislature offers the best prospect of strong 'executive-led government'.
Mrs Ip also expresses 'cautious optimism' that Hong Kong can achieve universal suffrage in 2012.
