WHEN John Major decided to send Chris Patten to be the last Governor of Hong Kong, the avowed objective was that the British Government should not retreat from Hong Kong in 1997 in disgrace - but in honour.
When Mr Patten presented his electoral reforms in October 1992, his mission was to build up Hong Kong's institutions; specifically, a credible legislature that could stand up to Beijing after 1997 and preserve our rule of law. But after 120 hours of secret negotiations in Beijing we still do not know where we stand, except being told we are at the crossroads.
To the public, the question seems to be whether there will be an agreement or not. To those who consider themselves better informed, the question seems to be whether Mr Patten will ultimately kowtow to Beijing like his predecessor or stand firm on democratic principle for Hong Kong.
The real question is whether Mr Patten will be able to deliver a Beijing-controlled legislature to the People's Republic of China in 1997 and succeed at the same time in shifting blame away from himself and the British Government.
When he announced his electoral reform package, he found strong support from the public and Legislative Council, as we all believed he wanted to institute a sufficiently democratic legislature to preserve the rule of law and individual freedoms.
In travelling around the world with democracy as his rallying cry, Mr Patten earned himself the reputation of being the champion of democracy in Hong Kong.