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Secondly, at present recognized and capable political leaders appeal to their constituencies largely through their personal qualities rather than through a set of proposed policies and objectives of the organization to which they are affiliated. When these leaders stand for election, they tend to over-commit themselves by unrealistic personal platforms, hence running the possibility of disillusioning their electorate, thus damaging the credibility of the arguments for direct election.
Thirdly, a low level of political consciousness is not conducive to the system of a parliamentary democracy. When the elected member puts sectoral considerations before community interests and upholds personal prejudices at the expense of social justice, unfair policies will be formulated, which may lead to chaos and instability. Numerous examples of this kind of political turmoils abound in countries in the Third World. However, I believe, the possibility of such a scenerio developing in Hong Kong is rather remote.
Lastly, in a bid to enhance their popularity, elected members tend to favour political solutions over economic or social ones in solving problems. This is especially the case in
a community with a wide disparity in income and wealth distribution. For example, while some unemployment or labour problems might have their causes rooted in the outdated structure of the economic or social system, the elected members may be tempted to abuse their legislative or policy-making power in offering a solution. As a result, public spending on social services may grow to such an extent that taxes have to be raised and that foreign investment comes to a halt or declines.
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Nevertheless, the Government should not dismiss the call for direct election as irrational. If the long-term aim of
political reform is a fully democratic form of government, Hong Kong Government should initiate action to develop the political climate in preparation towards the goal, regardless of
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