Commentary: Pushing too hard on democracy will be fatal ( 2003-07-24 09:26) (China Daily HK Edition)
After two weeks of excitement, the majority of Hong Kong people have calmed
down and started to contemplate in what direction their city should be heading.
It is true that the local populace has a lot of discontentment with the
current economic conditions and the government's way of handling public opinion.
Some politicians have capitalized on these grievances and demanded Tung
Chee-hwa's resignation, leading to political uncertainties. Investors and the
public are beginning to query whether a change of guard will be able to solve
the current economic problems or, on the contrary, make the situation worse.
After having been enlightened by central leaders, Hong Kong people have come to
realize the significance of political stability, economic development and the
improvement of people's livelihoods.
As a matter of fact, the economic problems the territory is facing have been
caused by a variety of factors. They include historical legacies, inflexible
systems, the bursting of the economic bubble, economic globalization and
transformation, world economic slowdown and internal attrition at home.
How can these problems be solved? Definitely not by changing horses in
mid-stream.
At present, those who are most eager to topple Tung are the politicians from
the "democratic" camp. If they are allowed to assume power, all those problems
will only be aggravated.
Members of the public have criticized the "democrats" for their disregard for
economic issues and their inability to come up with measures to revitalize the
economy. It seems that the only things they can do well are to incite
demonstrations, sabotage capital-labour relationships and divide society. They
even go against the central government by trying to play a role in the
"pro-democracy" movement on the mainland. They are trying to drive a wedge
between the SAR and its motherland, undermining Hong Kong's trade ties with the
mainland.
Can these people solve the problems of negative equities, high unemployment,
population ageing and talent mismatch? Can they facilitate the implementation of
the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement with the mainland so as to bring
prosperity to the territory?
Hong Kong people must keep cool heads. "One Country, Two Systems" is a policy
and measure formulated by the central government and the best way forward. The
high autonomy that Hong Kong enjoys is endowed by Beijing and is not determined
by the local residents. Promoting democracy on the residents' own initiative
runs against the Basic Law and will jeopardize the territory's stability. The
procedures stipulated by the Basic Law must be followed and democracy should be
developed in a gradual manner by taking into account the realities in Hong Kong.
Those who are trying to oust Tung are actually aiming to upset the procedures
prescribed by the Basic Law, undermine the democracy that is being gradually
developed and change the direction of Hong Kong's development with a coup. This
will only bring more harm to the local economy and will not safeguard Hong
Kong's interests. Only under a stable social environment could the economy take
a turn for the better.
If Tung is not allowed to continue with his rule under the Basic Law, Hong
Kong will be thrown into a state of lawlessness and volatility. If tens of
thousands of people besieging the Legislative Council Building could usurp the
power and set a precedent, that would spell the end of Hong Kong. Tung Chee-hwa
is still the best choice for the post of chief executive. It is difficult to
find the right person to replace him if he quits the job.
A reshuffling of the leadership team, concentration on economic development,
riding on the motherland's backing and facing the world, restructuring its
economy and improving people's livelihoods are what Hong Kong must now do in
order to edge its way out of the present doldrums.
