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Many well-meaning friends have written
to me recently after my announcement to step down from the
Legislative Council at the end of the term. They expressed
shock and surprise at my unexpected decision and had
invariably demanded a good explanation. A few have even
begun to indulge in rather wild speculations that had to
be dispelled, such as, I am disillusioned with politics or
that I am afraid to lose in an election. The real reason
is simple but the background can be complicated. I am glad
to try putting my thoughts to paper now that the dust has
settled a little.
As a professional, I entered politics
with a dream to make a difference. When I find myself
being forced to ¡¥drift¡¦ in politics and am unable to
provide effective solutions, perhaps it is time to let
other younger hopefuls make the attempt. It was also my
intent to serve and contribute towards a smooth and stable
transition in the historical transfer of sovereignty of
Hong Kong. I believe that I have stayed long enough to
achieve this objective, now that full integration with
China is well on its way. Having tasted politics in good
measure, I am also convinced that I am not suited to a
long-term political career in the Hong Kong environment.
I am proud to have served in Hong
Kong¡¦s political arena though, and greatly appreciate that
there are many dedicated individuals with a great deal of
talent whose contributions are often under-rated by our
numerous severe critics. I also strongly believe that
politics is an essential and important process that should
lead towards better social contracts. Instead of creating
endless obstacles for these people, as a community, we
could instead try to be supportive in providing a
constitution that is more conducive to rewarding good
political conduct and behaviour. To deny Hong Kong such an
environment, risks stifling the enthusiasm of the next
generation of good people.
No lack of political talent
By the same token, I strongly disagree
with the comment that Hong Kong lacks the political talent
for self-rule. I have had the privilege of working with
many of these people both inside and outside the
administration in the last 20-odd years. However, the sad
reality is that more and more of these good people are
choosing to leave earlier than they should. I believe that
rather like nature, it is hard to expect that exotic
flowers will flourish in a hostile desert. Without proper
moisture and the right soil only thorny cactus with the
strongest survival instincts will grow in abundance! In
reality, what we get is what we deserve, Hong Kong
desperately needs to cultivate and even scout for young
talent especially from the moderate middle class.
As Hong Kong¡¦s politics take on a life
of its own with limited environmental support, it has
turned increasingly competitive and favors greater
coalition and professionalism. However, the many political
parties and groups formed still lack the research
capabilities and vision to provide a consistent and
orderly community agenda and thereby carry public opinion
with it. Instead, it is the sporadic and sensational media
reports that lead the way. In the circumstances, I find
that before the politicians and the community have a
proper chance to debate an issue, often the verdicts have
already been handed down. Everyone is then forced to
hastily take sides or face being accused of sitting on the
fence. In defense of their collective public image,
political groups are often quick to react. But once forced
into a quick decision, they are entrenched and become
inflexible. In order to stand out from the rest of the
crowd and attract public attention, some might even choose
to take a more extreme view and deploy sharp media tactics
together with their number advantage to drown the opinions
of others. That is why the political arena is getting
increasingly polarised, to the point that it has become
almost impossible for the more balanced points of view to
see the light of day.
The voting pattern of the Legislative
Council has changed too in recent years. We used to care a
lot about winning a majority in a vote. Not anymore. The
topics under discussion have become repetitive and
political parties are more concerned with making a point
to their own selected groups of loyal supporters rather
than obtaining well balanced practical results for the
whole community.
No instant solutions
This brand of instant satisfaction in
politics could deteriorate, if they stand uncorrected,
into constant superficial confrontation for the sake of
confrontation. When that happens, the role of the moderate
middle can be very limited since their votes are no longer
in demand except as bargaining chips with the Government.
Fortunately, on the majority of occasions, we still have
good cooperation in the Legislative Council. However, my
conviction as a moderate to help build consensus and to
provide alternative solutions has become ineffective in
controversial issues like the legislation to reduce civil
servants pay, Article 23 and political reform. At the end
of the day, after our more moderate views are brushed
aside, the independents are forced to take sides or offer
no views at all, which is even worse. The matter does not
rest there. We still need to carefully explain our choice
to a sometimes suspicious constituency who might not fully
appreciate that we are forced to take an uncomfortable
position between the lesser of two evils. That is not what
I had in mind when I entered politics.
Another trend, which offers no cause
for optimism, is the escalating confrontation between our
democrats and the Central Government. Confrontational
politics might work well in some places such as the United
Kingdom where there is a real prospect of a transfer of
power with minimum disruption or change to the livelihood
of ordinary people. Such conditions do not exist in Hong
Kong. It must be obvious that a change in power in Hong
Kong is unlikely to arise as a result of confrontational
politics leveled against the local administration. When
the same illsuited tactic is deployed against the Central
Government, what possible purpose could it serve for the
people of Hong Kong? In reality, it might just help to
maintain the popularity of the democrats in the short
term. However, it is also tantamount to issuing an open
invitation on behalf of the people of Hong Kong to a more
direct and vigorous intervention by its Central
Government, which has so far been happy to leave things to
the local administration with little worry of losing
control. The charged atmosphere will again deter the
politically shy moderates who have an economic stake and
therefore strong commitment to Hong Kong to take part in
self-rule.
Learn to read between the lines
A top Chinese leader once said that
Hong Kong is a difficult book to read. I agree with him.
What makes Hong Kong tick (and strong) are not stacks of
paper laws and an immortal system but the spirit of
freedom and sensibleness of its people. We are gradually
slipping on both counts when it comes to politics.
I would add that China is also a
difficult book to read and few people in Hong Kong have
studied it carefully enough. But in order for Hong Kong to
succeed in future, and our politics of self-rule to
flourish, we must be conversant with both books and learn
to respect the differences between them. It has to be the
case that slow progress can only be made for Hong Kong
through patience and the building of mutual confidence and
trust with our Central Government.
Dr Eric Li is the LegCo
Accountancy Functional Constituency Representative. For
more information, refer to his website at
http://www.ericli.org
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