Public opinion hijacked in CY Leung's electoral reform report

Reading between the lines of the consultation report and Leung Chun-ying's report to the National People's Congress Standing Committee, it seems clear that the government has all but decided in favour of a non-democratic model for the chief executive election.

Long-expressed establishment-camp positions are given the veneer of public support. With considerable cheek, the government has ticked the boxes in favour of nearly all establishment-camp positions.

First, we are told the "mainstream opinion" is that the power to nominate chief executive candidates is vested in the nominating committee only - a substantial power that should not be bypassed. Other "divergent views," calling for binding civil nominations, are acknowledged but presumably excluded from this "mainstream" view.

Second, "mainstream opinion" is said to agree that nominees should "love the country and love Hong Kong". This is generally viewed as code for excluding pan-democrats as candidates.

Third, we are told of "relatively more views" that the composition of the nominating committee should be decided by the existing method for forming the election committee. This is despite the fact that most pan-democratic proposals have emphasised expanding the committee's electoral base, and that the Basic Law requires the nominating committee to be broadly representative.

Fourth, we are then told of "considerable views" that the number of seats on the nominating committee should be increased. Presumably this would allow a couple of subsectors to be added while keeping the existing subsectors in place and the balance tipped towards the establishment camp.