Date: 26May 2015
‘From Impasse to Innovation: In Search of the Middle Ground on Political Reform in Hong Kong’
With the recent release of the HKSAR Government’s political reform package on 22 April 2015, political actors from across the spectrum have begun drumming up support for or opposition to the package in light of the impending vote of the Legislative Council slated for June 2015, which will seal the fate of the reform at least for now.
Both the Government’s Constitutional Taskforce team and the Pan-Democrats have stepped up their political campaigns, the former to win over the public’s support to ‘pocket’ the reform package whilst the Pan-Democrats stand strong on their decision to veto the reforms, which they say are a brand of ‘fake universal suffrage.’ A victory based on a razor thin margin of support bodes ill for the future of effective governance in Hong Kong, which has been crippled by the current impasse fuelled by the lack of consensus on political reform in the past year. At this critical juncture of Hong Kong’s political reform journey, the looming question which needs to be more fully addressed is whether there is still a moderate path that can be charted within the constraints of the framework stipulated by Beijing’s August 31st decision (the “831 Decision”).
It is this gap that this Political Reform Series hopes to plug by bringing together the voices of Hong Kong’s moderates on the possible way forward in light of the existing decisions and Basic Law provisions and to articulate what possible concessions would need to be met in to gain support from the moderates in the Pan-Democratic camp.
Chair:
*Prof. Simon Young Professor and Associate Dean (Research), Faculty of Law, HKU
Speakers:
*The Honourable Mr. Ronny Tong HKSAR Legislative Councillor
*Prof. Chi Kwong Law Associate Professor, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, HKU
*Mr. Eric Cheung Principal Lecturer and Director of Clinical Legal Education, Faculty of Law, HKU
*Mr. KC Kwok Honorary Senior Research Fellow, School of Economics & Finance, HKU
