Liberals at crossroads
THE resignation of two founding members of the liberal political party Meeting Point over the group's endorsement of the Governor's political reform proposals should not come as a surprise. It is a mark of the polarisation of Hongkong opinion since China refused to discuss Mr Patten's proposals and demanded they be withdrawn. Meeting Point is perhaps one of the most seriously split of the territory's liberal organisations. Yet any group with pretensions to democratic ideals which also hopes to maintaina cordial relationship with Beijing is likely to be caught in a similar dilemma. Those who have resigned have argued that the party had ignored the principle of nationalism and the need to converge with the Basic Law. They urged the party to submit counter-proposals on democratic reform to distance it from the Governor's position. However, others in the party accept the Governor's liberal interpretation of the Basic Law.
Whether the awkwardness