Vetocracy gone mad, thanks to obstructive pan-democrats
An American friend has recently taught me a new word, vetocracy, to describe the state of US politics. Well, how ironic! We have that in Hong Kong already even though we don't have full democracy.
An American friend has recently taught me a new word, vetocracy, to describe the state of US politics. Well, how ironic! We have that in Hong Kong already even though we don't have full democracy.
The term, my friend says, refers to how the two main political parties in the United States are so polarised along ideological lines and under the influence of powerful interest groups that they exercise a veto over any policy they dislike. The much admired "separation of powers" has led to gridlock on the most pressing issues for Americans.
We have our own version of "vetocracy", thanks to the pan-democrats' avowed campaign of non-cooperation. It started yesterday with a request to fund the proposed technology bureau. Several pan-dems, such as People Power's Albert Chan Wai-yip, deliberately skipped the meeting. Without the requisite number of lawmakers in session, the request has to be delayed again.
Now I happen to think the proposed bureau is a waste of taxpayers' money and an expansion of unnecessary bureaucracy. But people like Chan are doing it - and planning to reject as many upcoming funding requests as possible - because of the government's "fake" democracy reform.
I scratch my head to find any valid linkage between routine funding essential to conducting normal government business and constitutional reform, and how holding up the former could somehow advance the latter. But most pan-dems in the legislature seem to think otherwise.
The government claims taxpayers have already lost HK$1 billion with the delay of votes on 21 public works projects before the launch of the non-cooperation campaign.
These include refurbishing Hong Kong Buddhist Hospital in Lok Fu and expanding two landfill sites. Even if officials exaggerate by half, it's a loss of HK$500 million. Who knows how much more will be lost thanks to our pan-democratic "vetocrats"?
I have no problems with lawmakers objecting to individual funding projects on their own demerits. But these should be raised case by case. As it is, they now threaten blanket refusal of all funding requests or as many as possible. That's just obstruction for obstruction's sake.
