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KINGSPARK NEWS Club Number: 30119 2006-07 Rotary Year : Issue 18 : 17 March | ||
| This
is the biweekly bulletin of the Rotary Club of Kingspark Hong Kong Club Website: http://www.rotary3450.org/kingspark-hongkong | ||
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| Chief
Editor : Francis Wann Club Webmaster : John Wan | ||
| Editorial
(Univeral
Suffrage) - By Francis Wann | ||
| District Website | RI Website | RI President | TRF | News Room | Global History Fellowship | ||
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Universal Suffrage
Suddenly universal suffrage is on everyone's lips, and naturally CE Donald Tsang sees the practical needs to include it in his campaign as he pledged to bring up the subject and have it fixed "if he gets elected". Universal suffrage has always been the platform for the Civic Party and the pan-democrats; now it's become a commodity of political currency. While democracy could mean different things to different people, universal suffrage points to something straightforward, and can be understood by everyone. It would not be too far from the truth when not too long ago in response to Mrs Anson Chan's political blueprint, an official from the Central Government argued that China was the first country to fight for democracy. The present electoral system is of course unacceptable, but will universal suffrage solve the problems? The arguments on the subject more often than not hinge on a mixture of idealism and passion. Our two CE candidates were clever enough not to touch the most sensitive part of the argument, and instead made it plain that it was already granted in the Basic Law etc. The war of words finally degenerated into a mere numbers game, with 2012 the number in question. For Rotary International, the election of RI president every year begins with disrict level elections which then proceeds to zone elections. Hong Kong together with Macao and Mongolia is still considered one district and hence one vote. At the present setting it would be almost impossible for Rotarians in our district to get elected as RI Presidents, a fact which indeed causes a bit of disquiet within Rotary's rank and file. Perhaps the PDG council should be looking at this particular issue. Rotary is not perfect; it doesn't claim to be. But the fact that Rotarians are drawn together by their common belief of a better world has helped us iron out the differences among us. As an international service organization, our major concern will be the people we pledge to service. When asked about the art of governance, Alan Leong made it plain - Let the market decide. I mentioned earlier in this editorial that if he were to practise what he pledges, he might as well find inspirations from Rotary's four-way test and our four avenues of services. Francis asked if I thought Alan Leong should run as that could have made the whole election more legistimate. He assured my students that they would see universal suffrage in their life time. The message of Rotary is a message of love, and it's important we see the Rotary community grow and spread. Indeed, my other guest that afternoon legislator Ronny Tong was a Rotary scholar at Oxford, some years ago... | ||
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From
the Webmaster
I once read a note by TIME editors that whoever features on the cover of the magazine would get to autograph some 60 copies of that particular issue, to be distributed to certain people according to well established custom. I don't know whether that is still practized, and I probably would never find out. Such is probably the nature of an institution such as the office of the Hong Kong Chief Executive, where decisions and activities of the day are not of the head of the office, but rather of others in his office and made out of necessity if not of expedience. So everyone in the world is convinced that his second term is guaranteed, and yet nobody would question the need to spend so much on an activity the outcome of which will never cause any surprise or anguish to anyone, not least the contestants in the race. How interesting can life be. I must confess though that I have been unable to tune in to the debates nor to read the articles thus generated - there are no shortage of things to do. In the TIME story, Tsang was said to have told TIME that his objective "is not only to win the votes of the 800 people who are the delegates of the Election Committee. My camoaign is to win the hearts if the 7 million people of Hong Kong." TIME went on to report him having said that he was perhaps "the only person able to do this (democracy) deal," and TIME concluded that Tsang will get the job, but "whether he gets it done will determine Hong Kong's future for years to come." Moving from the topical to the present, today is St Patrick's Day. In the recent past, St Patrick's Day was celebrated only as a religious holiday. It became a public holiday in 1903 in Ireland. Until the 1970s, all pubs were required to be closed on this day. The first St. Patrick's Day parade held in the Irish Free State was held in Dublin in 1931 and was reviewed by the then Minister of Defence Desmond Fitzgerald. Although secular celebrations now exist, the holiday is still a religious observance in some areas. St Patrick's Day is often celebrated as a festival these days in Ireland; and many Irish people still wear a bunch of shamrocks on their lapels or caps on this day or green, white, and orange badges (after the colours of the Irish flag). Girls and boys wear green in their hair. Artists draw shamrock designs on people's cheeks as a cultural sign, including American tourists. Some have said that the green thing also symbolizes the coming of Spring, for the Spring Solstice is just round the corner. I wonder what our President Patrick is doing on this day. Whatever your beliefs, whatever your religion, and whoever you are, I wish you a Happy St Patrick's Day and a peaceful and rewarding weedend. And I wish our President Patrick in particular a happy day. | ||
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Views in any article in Kingspark News reflect those of the authors. They are not necessarily the views of the Rotary Club of Kingspark or of District 3450. You are welcome to write to Chief Editor Francis Wann or Club Webmaster John Wan on any topic, particularly in response to articles published in Kingspark News. We would publish all contributions as long as the authors identify themselves, the contents are not offensive or abusive, and would not offend common decency or common sense. You need not be a Rotarian to write to us and you have a choice to withhold your name in the published version. Where the contents make reference to statements or policies of individuals or organizations, we would try to obtain a response from the latter for publication in the same issue if possible. | ||
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Editor : Francis Wann The Board of Directors President
: Patrick Wong | ||
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