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After a heated political tug of war, Hong Kong’s Legislative Council passed government bills to expand the electoral college to choose the Chief Executive and to increase the number of elected seats in the legislature. The breakthrough came when the central government responded to the moderate democrats’ compromise package. The government describes the votes as ‘historic’ and a big step forward, and called for an end to ‘hatred and attacks’. Have the divisions in political reform widened the rift in Hong Kong society? What is Hong Kong’s political landscape, going forward? Does Beijing’s compromise signal a paradigm shift and could it lead to the widening of Hong Kong’s path to democracy? Do functional constituencies have any value and should they be abolished? What is the future of a divided Democratic Party? We have invited leading Legco members to share their views. Emily Lau, Lawmaker representing New Territories East and Vice Chairman of the Democratic Party. She graduated in journalism at the University of Southern California and received her M.Sc. in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Audrey Eu, Lawmaker representing Hong Kong Island and Leader of the Civic Party. She is a Senior Counsel and a former Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association. Ms. Eu graduated from the University of Hong Kong and the University of London. Frank Ching, Journalist and commentator. He was the Wall Street Journal's first China bureau chief when China reopened to the West in 1979. He now writes a weekly column for the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), China Post (Taiwan) and Globe and Mail (Canada). Co-organizers:
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