鄧永鏘（DavidTang）中國會、上海灘創辦人
HasanyoneinHongKongeverdared,Iwonder,tosuggesttoPresidentHuJintaothatweshouldsoonbegranteduniversalsuffrage?Iverymuchdoubtit.Hasanyoneeverdared,Iwonder,tosuggesttoanymemberoftheChinesePolitburothesameproposition?Ialsoverymuchdoubtit.OfcourseIdon'tmeanthosedemocratswho,throughthemediaanddemonstrationsinHongKong,shoutacrosstheborder.TheyhavenoaudiencewiththeChineseleadership.ImeananyonewhohastheearsofthePresidentorthosewhoexercisepowerinChina.
Myconvictionisthatthereisno-oneinapositiontolobbytheChineseleadershiponourdemocraticprocess.IcanjustseepoliticiansandtycoonsbeingextremelyobsequiouswhentheymeetthePresidentoranyoneinfluentialorpowerfulinthemainland.Icanseetheiroilysmiles;theirsubservientposture;theirunquestionedloyaltyandubiquitousdeference.LittlewondersincetheChineseleadershipis,tobehonest,quiteoverwhelming.WhenyougotothePeople'sGreatHall,youaredwarfedbythesky-highcolumnswhichMussoliniwouldhavebeenproudof.InsidetheHall,youarealsomadetolooksmallundertheever-risingceiling.Theenormousspaceoftheroomisalsocalculatedtoaddextraformalityandawe.Asifthatisnotenough,thereistheextrasadnessofourassumptionthattheChineseGovernmentdoesnotgetparticularlyexcitedabouthasteningthepaceofdemocracyinHongKong.SothemeresuggestionthatanyonefromHongKongwoulddare,insuchaheavyatmosphere,toputtotheleadershipaproposalforswiftdemocraticreformissimplyimprobable.
Thisispreciselytheproblem.Thereisno-onewhoischampioningourdemocraticcausein中南海.WeinHongKongaremadetofeellikecockroachesonceweentertheHeavenlyGatesoftheChinesecapital.Wehavenotanounceofpower.Wehavenopoliticalbase.Wehavenosay.Wemerelybowandgenuflectandobey.Thisisthepoliticalremotenessofourdemocraticprocess.
Ergo,weshouldhavesomesympathyforourpoorChiefExecutive.Let'sfaceit,withalltherespectinthegalaxy,hehasnoinfluenceorstaturewithintheChinesepoliticalarena.Hehaslittledefactosayinourdemocraticprocess.Hedoesnotopenlyconfessit,butitisallveryclearforustosee.Itisgoodenoughthathesafe-keepstheterritoryasbeingthefreestcornerofChina,andrunsHongKonginthecompetentwaythathedoes.HeshouldnotbethetargetforthosedemocratsinHongKongwhowishtoacceleratethepaceofdemocracy.Thatis,unlessheispreparedtoriskgoingbeyondthepoliticalremitofbeingtheChiefExecutiveoftheSAR.Butthen,hewillhavetobeverybrave.HewillhavetofightforHongKong,withalltherisks,againstthemightoftheChineseGovernmentwhichhasprobablymoreheadachestodealwithonthemainlanditselfanddoesn'tneedanymorefromHongKong.
ButthatwouldbeatallorderforDonaldTsang,giventhefactthathehasforallhislifebeenacivilservant,andnotapolitician.Sothatleavesuswithhavingtofindsomeoneelsewhoisexceptional.AndwhohassomestatureandinfluencewithintheChineseleadership.Weneedaverysmartandcunningcomprador.RememberRongYi-renwhobecametheVice-PresidentofChina?HewasagreatmateofDengXiao-PingwholethimstartupCITIC,whichatthetimemusthavebeenconsideredunthinkablycapitalisticandbourgeois.SoforHongKong,weneedasortofRongYi-ren.Hisson,LarryYung,mightwellhavequalified,exceptthatDengisnolongeraround!ButthepointisthatweneedafigureofgravitaswhohastheearsofHuJintao,ANDwhoiswillingtolaydowntheargumentsforfasterdemocracyinHongKong.Whodareswins!AndwinsforHongKong!
P.S. Iamgladthat4Governmentofficialsspent2hoursvisitingtheDownSyndromeCentretoday.Let'shopethattheGovernmenthavethewillanddecisivenessofemployingatleastoneDownSyndromeboyorgirlforanyjobwhatsoeverwithintheGovernmentbeforeChristmas.Thatisnowonly3weeksaway.