2011年7月13日星期三

咨詢不是終極答案

見報之日,原定是立法會就遞補機制表決之期。

早前政府決定擱置表決,先行咨詢。其實,教人擔憂多於歡喜。

不知何時起,「咨詢」變了一個百搭答案。舉凡各界聲討,政府想不出好點子回應,唯有以「咨詢」換時間。隨便湊合出一份三幅被的文件,定一個咨詢期,等民情降溫。然後,意見照受態度照舊,過了海便是神仙。年前關於政改的「套餐式」咨詢方案,印象猶深,官樣文章,我們還想看多少?

最弊是,循例咨詢完畢,政府大條道理當是民意之所向。市民白吃了一隻死貓,連申冤都再沒資格。咨詢,很多時候不過是強姦民意的最強技倆。

其實,我有時真的很懷疑,有些東西,究竟有沒有咨詢的必要?正如我們不會就婚姻生育學術宗教等自由作咨詢,也不會就生存權、求學權等作咨詢,因為都是公認的基本權利。選舉與被選權亦然,不然不會被寫進基本法裡。

我也懷疑,杜絕「濫用」,是不是剝奪選舉權的理由。正如有人濫用綜援制度,故意不工作去拿福利,我們也不會因此把整個制度取消吧。頂多透過公眾教育或輿論批判以正視聽。

林局長口口聲聲說,五區公投投票率低,民意很清楚。既然民意已經那麼清楚,議員也不是蠢的,會計算對自己政治前途的影響,會否再來,也成疑問,政府又何需緊張兮兮搞出一個大頭佛?

今日,不知還有沒有人仍然上街抗爭,也不知抗爭會演變成甚麼程度。我不同意透過擾亂秩序去爭取權利,但更害怕有人借着一、兩個混亂的畫面,乘機抹煞整個議題背後的大原則。畢竟,與暴政相比,鏡頭前的「暴力」,又算得上甚麼?

1 則留言:

匿名 說...

Had the government been able to force through the bill without consultation; it would have been a disaster for the political environment in HK.

It would have been the clearest demonstration that the governing alliance can do whatever they want, whenever they wish, however they like.

I agree that consultation is not the answer. But it seems the civil society has successfully adverted the worst case scenario. To that I already feel somewhat relief, and very grateful.

This has been a long lost battle, the surprising thing is not so much that we shall lose in the end, but more so that we have not lost yet.

Facing this situation, I keep thinking of a scene in movie Lord of the Rings-the Return of the King. When Rohan was going to war to help Gandor, the generals and soldiers said in despair that 'we cannot win this war with so few people' and the king replied 'No, we cannot, but we will go to war anyway.'

whether we can win this or not is out of our hands. The question that remains is simple--to fight or to despair.

Such is the choice in front of the HK civil society.

To Arms
Elton