31st December Newsline

31st December Newsline Presenter: Nick Waters Joining in the studio: Christine Loh, civic Exchange, Francis Moriarty Look back at some of the key events that have affected Hong Kong over the last 12 months and what can we expect in 2007. There seems to have been to one-step forward, one-step back for Hong Kong’s political scene. Christine Loh’s points: - In 2006 obviously, we would have been looking at particularly the democratic camp trying to get its act together to perhaps come back to the people and say:” Well we voted that down but here is what we really propose.” - There has been a deafening silence from that camp - As far as the other camp is concerned, they were never going to come out fighting and say:” here is an appropriate political package for Hong Kong.” - Donald Tsang has told us is sometime perhaps in March or later, is that he would then through the commission for strategic development come up with perhaps another revised-package - We are no where from a year ago Francis Moriarty’s points: - The government knew they had to vote down the political package - One of the dirty little secrets of that vote is that actually the status quo worked better. (Better for everyone involved.) - For a variety of reasons: among other things the democrats the pan-democrats didn’t have another program to come forward with they could not have got that through because they don’t have the horses anyway - The government would not support it in any case - From all points of view it was probably better to stay where things were than to accept (from the democrats point of view) a package that would have solidified the role of functional constituencies and expanded the role of district councilors. - Most of the parties them selves still need to do more work to strengthen their own base in the district councils.