After almost three decades, there is still no certainty that Hong Kong's struggle for democracy will bear fruit by the end of next year. What is certain is that no parties want further delays, including Beijing, according to a veteran Beijing-friendly politician. "Beijing officials are not impressed with the idea of dragging the debate on for another five years," the source said. He was referring to what vice-chairwoman of the national legislature's Basic Law Committee Elsie Leung Oi-sie said earlier about an "evolving" political system. She said the city should get "one man, one vote" first and improve the political system later. "I understand Beijing hopes to solve the matter once and for all, although some officials might be regretting the decision to promise Hong Kong universal suffrage by 2017," the source added.
The Legislative Council has made a good start after the summer recess and the battle for who heads its panel looms today. The most anticipated clash is between two pan-democrats, Charles Mok and Wong Yuk-man, for the top job on the Information and Technology panel. An IT lawmaker, Mok had a last-minute defeat last year as pro-government lawmakers gave their votes to Wong, who defied the pan-democrats' consensus to support Mok. While Wong was then still a member of People's Power - labelled a pan-democratic group - he has since become an independent, and seems to have departed even further from the mainstream pan-democrats. Another tussle will be between pan-democratic legal representative Dennis Kwok Wing-hang, who aims to seize back the chairmanship of the legal panel from Beijing-loyal Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, who defeated him last year.
