Constitutional reform is the way to go, says Li Ka-shing
Hong Kong’s richest man once again warned that dire consequences might follow if the SAR’s constitutional reform fell through. “Anyone with a sense of responsibility and caring for Hong Kong” should help deliver the reform, he said — a view that is somehow shared by the British government.
Li Ka-shing, chairman of Cheung Kong (Holdings) and Hutchison Whampoa, commented on the political impasse over the constitutional reform on Thursday when he hosted the announcement of the two companies’ annual report for 2014.
Though the billionaire has a multinational business and a charitable foundation to look after, Li said the city’s politics still deserves his full attention. “Politics and economy are tied together. When politics is in a bad shape, economy won’t stay good for long,” Li said.
In August last year the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPCSC) gave the green light to pick the city chief by univer- sal suffrage, albeit with conditions. For instance, each of the two to three candidates must secure majority support of the statutory Nominating Committee.
Since the central authority let the city’s 5 million eligible voters to make their choice, Li said he is baffled why the opposition is determined to vote down the reform package. “Anyone with a sense of responsibility and caring for Hong Kong should let this constitutional reform pass,” said Li.
The influential tycoon has been an outspoken advocate of electoral progress. Two weeks before the top legislature made the decision, Li pledged his support before the media at an event. At a press conference last month, he cautioned again that everyone will be a loser if the reform failed.
Such a loss, the business tycoon elaborated at the Thursday press conference, might not be recoverable “for a long, long time”.
The British government has a similar view. Its foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, writes in the latest six-month report on Hong Kong released on Thursday that there remains space under the NPCSC decision for a meaningful step forward for democracy.
He hopes the legislators in Hong Kong can work together with the SAR government to achieve a consensus on the reform, since it would not only lead to greater democracy of the Chief Executive election, but also pave the way for universal suffrage election of the Legislative Council (LegCo) in 2020.
The report agrees that the best way to preserve Hong Kong’s strength is through a “transition to universal suffrage”, and reaching consensus on the reform will require “all parties to engage in constructive dialogue within the parameters set out by the NPCSC decision”.
The chronological account of events that unfolded in the second half of 2014 also covers the illegal occupation protest. The report concluded that the “One Country, Two Systems” principle, though being put to “perhaps the most serious test” since 1997, has continued to function well.
The British government recognized that the Hong Kong police generally approached the 79-day protests carefully and proportionately.
The LegCo is expected to vote on the reform package before July. Support by a twothirds majority of all 70 lawmakers — regardless of their presence in the chamber — is required for passage.
Anyone with a sense of responsibility and caring for Hong Kong should let this constitutional reform pass.”
Li Ka-shing, chairman of Cheung Kong (Holdings) and Hutchison Whampoa
The last thing anyone of a sane disposition would wish for is to become a loser. Unfortunately, with “pan-democrat” lawmakers vowing to vote down any constitutional reform package based on the established legal framework in the Legislative Council, Hong Kong society as a whole is well on track to hit a scenario that will see every member become a big loser.
Political wrangling over the city’s proposed constitutional reforms for the election of the Chief Executive via universal suffrage in 2017 has divided Hong Kong society. An ultimate failure in achieving a reform package could only further damage the already torn social fabric and further undermine social harmony.
Persistent infighting will take its toll on Hong Kong’s governability. It will inevitably weaken the government’s ability and efforts to tackle various deep-seated social problems in the city including an aging population, a widening wealth gap and a severe housing shortage.
Neither will continuous political bickering bode well for Hong Kong’s economic competitiveness. It took Hong Kong decades to develop its enviable competitive edge, which has been one of the key elements of its economic prosperity. With the city’s competitiveness on the decline vis-a-vis that of its rivals in recent years, it simply can’t afford any further erosion political agitations will bring along for sure.
More importantly, political confrontation will cloud Hong Kong’s long-term economic development. The city’s economic success has also been attributed to the unique role it has been playing as a bridge between the nation and foreign countries. Hong Kong will risk losing its unique role and being marginalized if confrontational politics persists in the city.
Some commentators say the electoral reform package is not a perfect one. In fact, there hasn’t been such a thing as perfect reforms anywhere in the world. Political institutions, including electoral systems, develop as part of a long process that spans centuries.
Hong Kong is now at a critical juncture. It has to make a choice between going the way of democratic advancement and a scenario in which every member of society becomes a big loser. By virtue of the city’s constitutional arrangements, the opposition lawmakers now have the deciding vote. It really isn’t a tough choice for them to make.