My Take | A chance for the opposition to lead Hong Kong
- Now that Beijing will have its national security law over the city, the opposition can legitimately demand a restart of electoral reform and extension of the 2047 deadline for ‘one country, two systems’
Bad chess players can’t see beyond the next move. Hong Kong’s opposition politicians are worse: they are still smarting over their opponent’s last move.
The national security law is a fait accompli. There is nothing we can do to stop it. So what’s the point of dragging the city into another round of protests and strikes, which may again reignite more violence?
Why not try something more positive? As they say, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
There are several key pan-democratic demands that can be built on the introduction of the new security law: restart electoral reforms leading to universal suffrage and plan for an extension of “one country, two systems” beyond its 50-year limit.
Both can be built on statements, promises and guarantees made by the central government.
Before the ill-fated government electoral reform of 2014/15, there was talk of a grand bargain within the city’s political circles: you give us universal suffrage and we give you national security legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law.