Does anyone familiar with local politics find it ironic that the latest impetus for greater democracy for Hong Kong should come from two ex-civil servants - former chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang and former security chief Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee? The pair were not well known for pro-democracy stances while in office. So, what can they possibly achieve, and what impact are they going to make now? Instead of harping on the ultimate goal of a speedier adoption of universal suffrage, what new ideas can they bring to rejuvenate our political system? Do they have plans for action that differ from those of Hong Kong's other pro-democracy campaigners? These are fundamental questions if one is looking to the pair to make a real impact on our democratisation process. Realistically, no such plan can be implemented without Beijing's blessing. It would be naive to think the central government could accept that speedier democratisation is right for Hong Kong - just because Mrs Chan can mobilise people to march and demand a more representative legislature. On the contrary, that might make national leaders more nervous. It is equally questionable whether Mrs Ip could persuade central leaders of the same thing - through her direct participation in Legislative Council elections - just because of her past association with forces close to Beijing. Democracy doesn't depend on the acts of one or two individuals, no matter how well known or popular they are. The indisputable truth is that, without the business sector's whole-hearted participation in the political process, the door to greater democracy is unlikely to be opened wide very soon. The prospect feared the most by leaders in Beijing and Hong Kong is probably that of a legislature overwhelmingly represented by pro-grass-roots and pro-democracy campaigners, geared to turn the city into a welfare state. To address this concern, there is only one solution: those who represent the interests of people at the other end of the spectrum - the more conservative business elites - need to be fully involved in the political process and to balance the power in the legislature. Until now, the business community has not seen a pressing need to engage directly in politics, as it can still rely on Legco's functional constituencies to represent its interests. Businessmen are also intimidated by the thought of engaging in 'one person, one vote' politics: it's too crude and blunt. Their elitist mindset has handicapped their ability to accurately appreciate the true challenge associated with direct elections. This mindset has to change, and Mrs Chan and Mrs Ip can play a role in that adjustment. They could show the community at large, and the business elites, that universal suffrage would not necessarily point the city towards a populist agenda. The two women have many years of experience in government service. So they know all too well that some social, economic and political agendas - pursued vigorously by pro-democracy or pro-grass-roots politicians - are neither practical nor capable of contributing to society's greater good. They should be bold enough to put forward a non-populist agenda to the community, articulate their arguments and provide a new perspective. To be effective, they should stop shadow-boxing and make such an agenda their manifestos for either next year's chief executive election or the 2008 direct polls for the legislature. This is the only way to convince people to take them seriously as politicians. Fanny Wong is a public affairs consultant and political commentator in Hong Kong
