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The "Hong Kong Our Home" campaign initiated by the SAR government is timely. Unlike most government-sponsored campaigns, for which the initiation of a campaign for an object typically suggests a lack of that object, there is no lack of a sense. The campaign is timely because it raises the question of what we should do to make Hong Kong a better home for all of us.

Many Hong Kong citizens have been confused and irritated by the prevalence of arguments and confrontations. That may be the reason why the SAR government initiated the campaign. But arguments and confrontations are actually quite common in the home. Contrary to what may be believed and sadly, the home is one of the least safe places in the world. If we want to make Hong Kong a happy home rather than an unhappy or even a violent home, it takes every member of the family to put down their egos, reflect on individual acts and words, behave in a wiser fashion, and to have candid communication with other members of the family.

Communication will fail if one's attitude is: "I am right; you are wrong," and "I am the good guy, you are the bad guy." Sadly, even when two members of a family try to make a happy home, they nevertheless cannot stop quarreling.

While one camp says only those who love Hong Kong and love the country deserve the right to be elected as chief executive (CE), the other camp also claims that they also love Hong Kong and the country. I do not doubt the sincerity of both camps - even though we cannot rule out the possibility that some people may not be sincere. But why should we care if some people are not sincere. The more important thing is that we do! And if we do, we need to do what is in the best interests of Hong Kong and the country.

Beijing has made it clear that it will not appoint or tolerate a chief executive that counters Beijing. This is of course entirely understandable. The central government has sovereignty over Hong Kong and the Basic Law says that the CE has to be appointed by the central government. Legislator Michael Tien Puk-sun quoted an authoritative source and said that "countering Beijing" means "demanding China to end the one-party rule." In fact, trying to end one-party rule will stir trouble and even disaster for Hong Kong and for the Chinese people. It will definitely be bad for the Chinese mainland and bad for Hong Kong.

Those who try to impose the "no pre-screening" rule for the CE candidacy through "Occupy Central" may do so out of love for Hong Kong. But they need to understand that imposing personal views on Beijing will never work, but will produce a huge social cost. For central government leaders, it is too much of a risk to bear if the CE openly challenges them.

The opposition camp is right to assert that people should have equal political rights. I would add that they should also assert that we need to establish effective mechanisms to prevent officials from abusing their powers. But we can call for both "equal political rights" and "preventing power abuse" without calling for ending the one-party rule. Accordingly, isn't it acceptable to the dissidents that anyone who runs for and accepts the CE post must declare his or her support for the one-party rule by the CCP? If one revokes, the candidacy immediately becomes void and the CE who revokes will immediately give up the post. I believe Beijing is well advised to accept this, as it satisfies the "equal political rights" demand from the opposition camp.

I think many people have been confused in their analysis. Those who oppose the Communist Party of China (CPC) fail to realize that the party has never done anything wrong, because the CPC does not have an independent consciousness and cannot make decisions independently of people. Historically, all the wrongs attributed to the CPC had been done by people. Those who abused power used the party machinery at the expense of others. To prevent this, we need to set up mechanisms to prevent power abuses and build up lines of accountability.

An inquiring, open-minded attitude is necessary to make Hong Kong a happy home for all of us.

The author is a director at the Centre for Public Policy Studies, Lingnan University.

(HK Edition 05/07/2013 page1)