Political Elites

Here's an incredible article which first appeared in The South China Morning Post and essentially argues that people in Hong Kong do not deserve democracy because they are too stupid, venal and gullible to elect their own leaders.

Now there are many criticism to make of democratic governments across the world, but the key point is that people in a democracy can vote for change and remove politicians and political parties which become corrupt, unpopular or simply run out of ideas.

The same, of course, cannot be said of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) which has only 80 million members or 6% of China's population of 1.3 billion.

So there is democracy of a sort in China, the only problem is that votes and elections take place within the Communist Party and a one-party state which means that 94% of citizens are disenfranchised by this tiny political elite.   

Readers will not be surprised to learn that the South China Morning Post is widely regarded as being pro-Beijing where the leadership of the CCP is based. 

Are Hong Kong people really ready for democracy?

Peter Chan highlights the problems associated with the system

The people of Hong Kong must consider the choices and the consequences of their choices. Photo: Reuters

There have been persistent demands by pro-democracy groups for universal suffrage and the freedom to choose candidates and to elect the chief executive. The people of Hong Kong should ask and answer the question: Democracy, what democracy?

The fundamental principles of democracy are that every eligible citizen has the right to vote, and the minority will must go along with the majority. Constraints of time and cost have led to accepted variations of these principles.

Democracy depends on voters having the political awareness to understand the issues of the time, and the policies and ideas put forward by the candidates in order to cast their votes wisely. Hence the requirement that eligible voters are of a minimum age and are mentally sound.

The people of Hong Kong need to ask themselves if they have such a political awareness, and which model of democracy they want.

Some of the legislators elected in the past only seem able to criticise government policies and are unable to utter a sensible sentence on workable policies, let alone how to implement them. Thus, it would appear that our precious votes have gone to those who gave worthless sound bites. So the answer to the first question must be "no".

It is less clear which model of democracy the people of Hong Kong could adapt. Throughout the world, voters can be bought, intimidated, manipulated or misled by ambitious politicians who are "economic with the truth" at best.

In many Western countries, images and sound bites are what impress people, more than substance and ability. This leads to politicians losing the trust and respect of the people because they fail to deliver their promises, or are found to have lied to get votes.

It is estimated that the US lobbying industry (a sanitised term for buying political influence and favour) is worth a staggering US$5 billion a year. It is a democracy of "money is might, and might is right".

Meanwhile, it is widely believed that former British prime minister Tony Blair lied to Parliament in 2003 in order to get approval to join America in invading Iraq. The aim of the military incursion was regime change. Yet the so-called democratic government put in place has been no better than the previous one. Indeed, many would regard the Iraq of today as worse than the Iraq before 2003.

In 2008, Ireland held a referendum on whether to accept the treaty on European Union reform. The people rejected the treaty, so the EU "instructed" the nation to hold it again. This time, the treaty was approved. Many believe the people feared losing economic support from the EU as the Irish economy was close to bankruptcy.

Within the EU parliament, those who hold the most power are the dozens of unelected commissioners, not the elected members of the European parliament.

Closer to home, the democratic government in Taiwan has been shamed on many occasions, with episodes of elected representatives exchanging blows in the Legislative Yuan. A former president has even been jailed for corruption.

So which of these models of democracy should Hong Kong adapt?

Democracy, like other ideologies, is only as good as the politicians who enact and implement the laws of the land. We cannot ignore that the desire for wealth and power can change the face and value of any ideology, including democracy.

The people of Hong Kong must consider wisely the choices and the consequences of choices today. Come 2047, and the end of "one country, two systems", China may well have become too powerful for any other country to interfere with its sovereign rights.

Peter S.F. Chan is a former head of urology and kidney transplantation at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as Are Hong Kong people really ready for democracy?