All-party coalition could strike deal on universal suffrage, Liberal says

An all-party coalition needs reviving in order to reach consensus on constitutional reform, the Liberal Party chief said yesterday, and quickly won support both from allies and rivals.

They said the idea could serve as a platform for negotiating a proposal for achieving universal suffrage that is acceptable to all, but some questioned whether government allies could be persuaded to abolish the functional constituencies which return half the legislature.

Mr Tien said Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen's pledge to resolve the issue of universal suffrage was 'difficult to understand' because even with 60 per cent public support for such a goal, political parties in the Legislative Council would need convincing before a reform proposal could be passed.

'Donald [Tsang] cannot expect automatic support in Legco, even if public opinion supports a proposal. If he wants everybody to say the sandwich he made is good, he should involve them all in making the sandwich,' Mr Tien said.

'When we had the eight-party coalition, it was much easier to reach a consensus,' he said.

Between 1998 and 2004, seven political parties and the former Breakfast Group of non-affiliated legislators formed a loose coalition to push for livelihood issues after building consensus in the legislature.

The government, under former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa, was forced to adjust many policies, such as government fees and charges, after the rivals formed a united front.