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Editorial: No turning back for Hong Kong

Hong Kong's new chief executive will be selected today. However, even before the election takes place, Hong Kong, Beijing and the rest of the world already know that Beijing-backed incumbent Donald Tsang (曾蔭權) will be chosen. The people of Hong Kong cannot make the decision themselves, because the chief executive is elected by a 795-member electoral college, of which most members are puppets of the Chinese government. This is not true democracy, since the result can be declared even before the selection process takes place. This is fake democracy that contradicts democratic values and norms.

Although the election does not allow true democratic competition, it is, nevertheless, a small step on the road to democracy. Although Beijing remains reluctant to allow direct elections for the chief executive position, it does not dare to display its dictatorial ways. Hence, it has set up a complicated system that allows Beijing to manipulate the vote so that it can avoid a direct election while maintaining the obedience of Hong Kong's leadership. But the use of such tricks underestimates Hong Kongers' thirst for direct leadership elections and their hatred for traditional Chinese-style "court politics."

Beijing never expected pro-democracy lawmaker Alan Leong (梁家傑) to garner enough support to challenge its will by joining the election. Even though Tsang will still win easily, the emergence of a legitimate challenger has forced him to respond to Leong's questions and reveal his views on a timeframe for when Hong Kong's chief executive will be popularly elected. Leong's participation at least ensured that there was an opposition candidate, thus giving the election some semblance of a competition.

During the election campaign, the candidates seemed a bit like they were on stage acting out a mock battle. While Tsang fought to win the trust and backing of high-level officials in Beijing, Leong strove for Hong Kong's future. During his campaign, Leong spread the seeds of democracy and democratic concepts, concentrating on people's desire for reform and the search for a communal spirit among Hong Kongers. He forced Beijing to give Hong Kong more respect, its government more authority and to loosen the ties that bind. The pragmatic people of Hong Kong know that the timing is not yet right for a showdown with Beijing, and supporters of democracy know that Beijing's anointed one will not be upset in this election. But the election offers an opportunity to educate the people of Hong Kong, and it puts pressure on China by drawing international attention to the farce of the "one country, two systems" political structure that is used in Hong Kong.

Despite the pragmatism and realism of the people of Hong Kong, it is only human to want more freedoms and to be the master of one's own house. The path toward democracy is irreversible -- once you have taken the first step, you can only keep moving forward. Even in the territory's birdcage democracy, the calls for general elections will keep growing now that the public have taken that first step, and pressure will begin to mount on the governments in Hong Kong and Beijing. Democracy is crystallizing Hong Kong's self-awareness and general elections are becoming the common political goal of the people of Hong Kong. If that goal cannot be achieved, the pressure will continue to mount.

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