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Legislative Council Election|How can new members avoid the worst outcome of "drive low, go low"?

2021-12-23T05:31:29.437Z


The general election of the Hong Kong Legislative Council in 2021 has ended, and the establishment has won a big victory and successfully held the power of the Legislative Council. On the one hand, this will contribute to the stability of Hong Kong’s political order and the improvement of governance efficiency.


The general election of the Hong Kong Legislative Council in 2021 has ended, and the establishment has won a big victory and successfully held the power of the Legislative Council.

On the one hand, this will contribute to the stability of Hong Kong's political order and the improvement of governance efficiency. The evasiveness, conflict, and internal friction that were once opposed for the sake of opposition will be effectively suppressed.

But on the other hand, the voter turnout rates of direct elections by districts and functional constituencies in this Legislative Council election are lower than those of previous Legislative Council elections since Hong Kong returned to China.

Judging from the current data analysis of various parties, in the current Hong Kong Legislative Council election, voters who favor the establishment camp are actively mobilized and basically all voted out, but most of the voters who favor the pan-democratic and local camps did not vote.

Although there may be more than one reason for the low voting willingness of voters in the pan-democratic and local camps, it is obvious that this is inseparable from their doubts and even disapproval of the new electoral system.

In terms of numbers, there are more voters who favor the pan-democratic and local camps than those who favor the establishment camp.

Because of this, when Beijing responds to the severe governance crisis exposed by the Hong Kong legislative amendments and changes its electoral system in accordance with its own research and judgment on the situation in Hong Kong rather than the direction expected by the pan-democrats and localists, it will naturally not be too pan-prone. Voters from the local people and the local faction came out to support it, and it was entirely expected that the voter turnout in the Legislative Council election fell to a historic low.

For the electoral system, in many cases, the higher the voter turnout, the more it means that voters agree with the electoral system or at least the minimum confidence. On the contrary, the lower the voter turnout, the more it means voters’ distrust.

Hong Kong is now facing such a dilemma, and the recognition of the new election system is obviously insufficient.

Regarding this, the Hong Kong government and the establishment may as well admit it generously, without evading it.

But then again, considering the fate of Hong Kong in modern Chinese history, from being forcibly occupied by the British and implementing colonial rule, especially after the leftist 1967 riots in 1967, the British Hong Kong authorities passed political, legal, educational, economic and livelihood reforms. The measures have changed a large number of Hong Kong people’s perception and cognition of colonial rule. Since Hong Kong’s return to the country, the lack of action by the successive SAR governments has led to the accumulation and deterioration of the problems and contradictions left by Hong Kong and Britain. Today, the return of Hong Kong’s hearts will inevitably require a full experience. A challenging and difficult process.

As Yan Xiaojun, an associate professor of the Department of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Hong Kong, said, "Hong Kong is a city that has been alienated from the "Political Matrix" for more than a century." "In today's world environment, we must maintain our own stability and characteristics, Integrating into a political matrix that has been estranged for so long, and maintaining the absence of drastic changes, is unprecedented in the world. It is very unique, and it can be imagined to be very difficult." "In this sense, When we look at Hong Kong, we will have more patience with history."

Since Hong Kong’s return to the country, there has been a honeymoon period between Hong Kong and the Mainland and Beijing. The national identity of Hong Kong people reached its peak in 2008. However, there have also been bumps and conflicts in the relationship between Hong Kong and the Mainland and Beijing. This shows that the matter is man-made. It is possible that the hearts of the people of Hong Kong can be won through hard work, and it also confirms that the return of the hearts of Hong Kong people will face the challenges and will not be smooth sailing. All parties may wish to be more patient.

In this context, the low turnout rate in the Hong Kong Legislative Council election may be an inevitable pain in the process of Hong Kong's transformation and integration into the overall development of the country.

Since it is a labor pain, it means that after experiencing the labor pain, through hard work, Hong Kong will usher in a better development, whether it is the overall economic and social development and people's livelihood and welfare, or the democratization promised by the Basic Law and popularly expected by the public. , There can be a significant jump.

Only in this way can the amendment to Hong Kong's electoral system finally gain the general understanding and approval of Hong Kong society.

In this sense, although the establishment has won a great victory in the Legislative Council elections and has an absolute advantage, the greater test has just begun.

The author wrote in the article "Hong Kong Legislative Council Election: Quick Comment: The greater the power of the establishment, the greater the responsibility": "The late Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew once said, I think that when we say that a government is popular, it does not mean that it wants to Be welcome at any moment during the governance period...sometimes you must be completely unpopular, but at the end of your term, you should bring benefits to the people so that the people will realize that what you do is necessary "This sentence is very appropriate to the newly elected members of Hong Kong. They have a heavy responsibility. What they do, especially whether they can become competent members that are recognized by Hong Kong people and Beijing, is related to the effectiveness of the implementation of the new election system. And credibility.

Generally speaking, for the government's decision-making, implementation of the system, and the performance of politicians, the public's evaluation is often divided into four situations: high drive and high move, low drive and high move, high drive and low move, low drive and low move.

Among them, it is an ideal state to open high and go high, and it is not common. Especially for a region like Hong Kong that has experienced more than 100 years of colonial rule and is at the forefront of Chinese and Western political ideologies and geopolitical games, it is obvious that it is in the process of transformation and integration into China. It is difficult to drive high.

Driving low and walking high is the most legendary and most motivating situation for the world. It is usually used in situations that are not recognized at the beginning, but through active actions, they will eventually be recognized by the world. This is what the Hong Kong governance team should pursue today. the result of.

Driving high and driving low is no longer in line with the current reality in Hong Kong. Driving low and driving low is the worst outcome that the Hong Kong governance team must try to avoid.

It should be said that from the fact that the British colonization of Hong Kong and Lee Kuan Yew experienced ups and downs and faced distrust in the process of ruling Singapore in the past, but the ultimate success, the team governing Hong Kong today is under the background that Hong Kong has returned to China for more than 20 years. It is no longer a "borrowed place, borrowed time," and with the extremely strong support from Beijing and the mirror of historical experience, it is entirely possible to go low and go high.

Bai Juyi, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, once said that trying to burn jade for three days, and to distinguish the material for seven years.

It often takes time to judge the merits and demerits of all things in the world and people.

The same is true for the evaluation of Hong Kong’s new Legislative Council members and the new government team that will be formed next year.

Hong Kong is now at a critical node after the turmoil of legislative amendments. The next few years will be crucial. It is related to the success or failure of Beijing's policy of governing Hong Kong. There is an urgent need for newly elected Hong Kong governors to see the recognition they and the new election system are facing. Insufficient sex, turning pressure into motivation, self-motivation, active deeds, with a down-to-earth political performance, and ultimately go low and go high, win the people’s trust.

Source: hk1

All news articles on 2021-12-23

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