\nClever divide-and-rule tactics by Beijing have split the pro-democracy camp in Hong Kong and assured passage of what passes for political reform in the territory. The now-certain passage of the electoral changes, which only marginally enlarge the franchise, represents a victory for chief executive Donald Tsang, who has devoted massive government resources to trying to drum up popular backing for the proposals.<\/p>\n
It is doubtful that Tsang had much success with the populace — and even less when he appeared in a debate on the subject with Audrey Eu, who leads the Civic Party which continues to reject the proposal. Even Tsang himself acknowledges he was trounced.<\/p>\n
But the barrage of propaganda was effective with the current leadership of the Democratic Party, the largest and oldest of the pro-democracy groups, who felt that a little progress was better than nothing. The new reform package is only a little more democratic than ones rejected by the legislature in 2005. Although pro-government members, mostly drawn from business groups, are in the majority in the legislature, any constitutional changes require a two thirds majority. In 2005 the pro-democracy groups were united in rejecting the reform as totally inadequate.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
From Asia Sentinel: Clever divide-and-rule tactics by Beijing have split the pro-democracy camp in Hong Kong and assured passage of what passes for political reform in the territory. The now-certain passage of the electoral changes, which only marginally enlarge the franchise, represents a victory for chief executive Donald Tsang, who has devoted massive government resources […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[35,100],"tags":[901,5949,2590],"class_list":["post-79879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hong-kong","category-politics","tag-donald-tsang","tag-hong-kong-democracy","tag-legco","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n
Beijing Splits Hong Kong's Pro-Democracy Forces<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n