Editorial | Compromise needed if push for reform is to make any progress
- The city has not given up on democracy and that is why universal suffrage soon became one of the core demands when the momentum to fight the extradition bill escalated, but there has to be give and take
The public was disappointed, but not despaired. That is why universal suffrage soon became one of the core demands when the momentum to fight the extradition bill escalated. According to a recent survey by the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, respondents rated constitutional reform as the most pressing issue, surpassing housing and the economy for the first time in years.
Whether Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor will heed the call remains to be seen. Seven months have passed but Lam’s responses are not forthcoming, and she is apparently only prepared to appoint an independent review to look into the “deep-seated issues” that have contributed to the ongoing unrest.
Understandably, Lam cannot relaunch the reform without Beijing’s endorsement. Even with the green light, the way forward remains uncertain. The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office has made clear that the electoral framework laid down by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee in 2014 must be followed no matter when the reform is launched. But the restrictions – such as forming a panel to nominate only two to three chief executive candidates before putting to a popular vote – have been dismissed by the pan-democrats as fake universal suffrage. With society even more divided than before, a consensus is difficult to reach. Compromise is necessary if we are to make progress.