Pan-democrats must seek talks, as a veto is likely to serve Beijing's interests most
Simon Young says pan-democrats can "seize the opportunity" by drawing up a list of negotiable demands and seeking talks with the government, to test its commitment to universal suffrage - before they consider a veto
There are growing signs that both the central and Hong Kong governments no longer see universal suffrage in 2017 as a priority. Did they ever? I think they did because it was perceived as a way to confer greater legitimacy on those in power and thereby aid in their ability to govern. However, it seems that after the Occupy protests there is now an indifference if not hesitation in taking this major step in political reform.
If movement towards universal suffrage invites disruptive unlawful protests and interference by foreign governments, then Hong Kong is not ready for universal suffrage, nor is the central government. The signs of this new thinking are telling.
We are told not to get our hopes up with the second round of consultation. At the launch, the chief secretary said that in relation to the constitutional and legal framework, "there is no room for any concessions or compromises to be made in order to win over the support from the pan-democratic members". The next day, the secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs "confessed … there is not much room there for us to do anything significant so as to convince the 27 pan-democratic members to change their mind". On the radio, the secretary for justice described the task as "very close to mission impossible".
Beyond its flashy cover, the consultation document exudes little enthusiasm for reform. There are few if any new ideas or bridging points for legislators to seize upon. On the design of the nominating committee, instead of progressive suggestions such as abolishing corporate voting, rethinking existing subsectors, or allowing directly elected committee members, the aim is to maintain the status quo because "the wish of each subsector should be respected and widespread support from the relevant subsectors should be obtained, otherwise politically it would be difficult to forge consensus". Such conservatism ensures a narrow base for the nominating committee, as different views on how to expand it will be ignored on the grounds that a consensus has yet to be forged.