2021年4月14日
Brian Wong
EJ Insight
A ban on blank ballots would be terrible for sound governance
With the seismic political changes in Hong Kong has come the increasingly apparent stance from Beijing – the issues that permeate this city can and ought to be attributed to its intransigent, recalcitrant, and obsolete governance model; additionally, its arcane political culture is fundamentally impervious to any and all attempts at reform. In short, sound governance is lacking, and it is precisely the dearth of governing talents and "meritorious" individuals that plagues the city today. So far, so good.
If such logic holds, then the ban on blank ballots – touted by some in the establishment and the government – would be a terrible way of doing politics. Given the substantially and largely uncontested state of politics in the city, there remains little to no need – if at all – for further mechanisms to be in place in order to keep the opposition out of official institutions. Indeed, the prohibition of blank ballots is gratuitous at best – and would foster an active regression away from meritocratic governance. Here's how. ...
(節錄)