Governing coalition can help fix Hong Kong's fractured politics
Joseph Cheng says the chief executive needs majority support in Legco
In recent months, the issue of political reform and the Leung Chun-ying administration's difficulties in implementing policies have raised an important question: how can we ensure effective governance in Hong Kong?
Some prominent pro-Beijing figures, like Jasper Tsang Yok-sing and Ng Hon-mun, have acknowledged that the election of the chief executive in 2017 by universal suffrage cannot afford to exclude pro-democracy candidates. Otherwise, the elected leader would lack the mandate to promote necessary reforms.
The government's recent failure to secure the Legislative Council's approval for landfill extensions highlighted that the chief executive needs the support of a stable majority in the legislature.
On important political questions, the Chinese leadership has a defined position, and the pro-establishment legislators naturally support the Hong Kong government. On issues like landfills, however, Beijing does not take a position and pro-establishment lawmakers know they have a freer hand to oppose the government.
Currently, the chief executive cannot belong to a political party and has no reliable support base in the legislature. Changing this rule is the first barrier that must be overcome.
Theoretically, the chief executive could be the leader of a political party before his election, and he would more or less retain his former party's support afterwards. But there are no guarantees; realpolitik is a matter of interests.
A governing coalition would seem the most effective way of ensuring stable majority support in the legislature. Chief executive election candidates have to demonstrate their respective support bases; voters want to know a candidate can secure the support of a majority of lawmakers after being elected.