Democrat majority 'would not hobble' the administration
But compromises would have to be made, says the policy unit chief
The government would have to make compromises but would not be paralysed if its opponents won a majority in the September Legislative Council elections, says a top adviser to Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa.
Central Policy Unit head Lau Siu-kai also said the Basic Law principle of an executive-led government would not be breached if the democrats won more than half of the 60 seats in the legislature.
An opposition-dominated legislature would unavoidably hinder the government's introduction of bills to and initiating policies through Legco, Professor Lau said.
'It will of course increase pressure for the government. It may not be an ideal situation as it may not fulfil the constitutional expectations [of an executive-led government].
'Faced with that situation, it is inevitable that compromises will be made by the government.'
Pro-Beijing figures have warned that an opposition-dominated Legco could destroy or damage an executive-led government.
The official China Daily said in an editorial in March that if 'those who try to use democracy to exclude the Communist Party ... take the majority of seats in Legco, Hong Kong's executive-led government will collapse and the central authority and national security will be severely challenged'.
But Professor Lau said the principle of an executive-led government would not be contradicted because the constitutional arrangements already restricted the powers of the legislature.
Bills that touch on government expenditure or changes in government policy, or which would have an effect on the political system, require the consent of the chief executive.
Professor Lau also believed that the democrats would not seek to paralyse the government and would not oppose all policies the government sought to implement. 'They too would have to consider public opinion,' he said.
The top adviser said officials would have to step up efforts to win public support before introducing a new policy and before starting to lobby legislators.
If the public reacted positively to the policies, the opposition parties would have no choice but to endorse them in Legco, he added.
Professor Lau was 'cautiously optimistic' of an improvement in relations between the government and the opposition.
The Democratic Party and some of its allies offered an olive branch to Beijing last Wednesday, saying they would tone down their combative stance in exchange for better communication.
After the landslide defeat of pro-government parties in last November's district council elections, and with anti-government sentiment running high after Beijing's ruling out of universal suffrage, the democratic camp has high hopes of gaining at least 30 seats.
