As the plenary sessions of the new National People's Congress started last week, commentators in Hong Kong marvelled at the fact that nearly 70 per cent of the delegates were newcomers, including two Sichuan province women in their 20s from ethnic minorities. The call for generational change in Hong Kong's political landscape has thus intensified.
This yearning for fresh faces deserves close attention. It underscores the search for a new direction as Hong Kong nears a new decade.
In fact, the rise of youthful political leaders has been a discernable trend around the world. In 1992, the energetic 46-year-old Bill Clinton became president of the United States. Five years later, Britons voted Tony Blair into power, just days before his 44th birthday, making him the youngest prime minister since 1812. Following suit, the Spaniards and Germans also picked their most youthful leaders since the second world war, at the ages of 43 and 51, respectively.
Now, Russians have selected Dmitry Medvedev, 42, as their new president. In mainland China, the leadership reshuffle last year lowered the average age of provincial chiefs to 55, which was accompanied by a massive promotion of young and educated elites into provincial governments and national ministries.
The rise of young political leaders has been attributed to the arrival of the television age. Good looks are said to be more helpful than smart policies and experience when political contenders stand in front of the camera. While there might be some truth in this claim, a more convincing explanation is the call for change.
In many countries, voters are tired of an old political style that is often characterised by partisan voting in the legislature and a cosy relationship between the rich and the powerful. Young leaders are thus seen as possible healers for social wounds. Their inexperience is regarded as an advantage, because they carry no real or imagined baggage, unlike long-time insiders.