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Opinion | Joshua Wong’s election ban shows Hong Kong needs to plan now for democratic reform, not wait until officials say the time is right
- If anything, the protest movement has succeeded in putting political reform back on the table. To seize this opportunity and avoid another fiasco like in 2015, those who want electoral reform must start preparing workable strategies now
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A leaked report from the European Union’s Hong Kong office last month revealed that Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor does not think it is feasible to relaunch a debate on universal suffrage now.
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Despite her assessment, and the fact that political reform did not feature in her recent policy address, it is important to note her statement leaves the door open.
But it would be a mistake to further delay discussing political reform until the government believes the time is right. Those committed to Hong Kong’s future should develop a concrete plan detailing what universal suffrage will look like. The disqualification of Joshua Wong Chi-fung — seemingly the result of an individual ad hoc bureaucratic decision — is evidence of why this discussion is needed.
Much of the discussion since the protests escalated has been about the tactics of police and protesters, who is responsible for the increasing violence, and how calm might be restored. Full implementation of democracy has been highlighted by many as the best path forward but, as of now, there has been little discussion about the actual implementation.
The movement has succeeded in one important way: it has put political reform back on the table. Before the protests, there were no plans to ensure the next chief executive election would be handled more democratically.
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