"Black Gold" Politics - An Issue Not to be Lightly Dismissed學英文

Editorial

"Black Gold" Politics - An Issue Not to be Lightly Dismissed

【明報專訊】THE truth about the Lau Fau Shan dinner has gradually surfaced. Judging by the accounts given by the Heung Yee Kuk members who sit on the Chief Executive Election Committee, Lew Mon-hung, and those in Leung Chun-ying's camp, it is unfounded to say that Leung's campaign staff were accompanied by a gangster when they met with the Heung Yee Kuk members. The Students' Union of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) was quite on the wrong track when they raised the following two questions: Is Leung going into "black gold" politics? Did Leung's campaign staff arrange the dinner to secure the Kuk members' support with the help of a Triad member?

But though Leung's campaign staff have cleared themselves of suspicion, the Lau Fau Shan dinner has caught public attention, labelled as it is as indicative of "black gold" politics. And the presence of Kwok Wing-hung, a gangster, on the occasion has brought to light his relations with Lew Mon-hung and the Heung Yee Kuk members, which should not be lightly passed over.

Kwok's Triad background has brought the Lau Fau Shan dinner under the cloud of "black gold" politics. While Leung's camp is now free from suspicion, Kwok's relations with the Heung Yee Kuk members and Lew remain obscure. As both the Kuk members and Lew hold public positions, they enjoy some political power and influence. This is something that those really concerned with Hong Kong's core values should try to look into.

While news about the Lau Fau Shan dinner was all over town, the Democratic Party approached the Independent Commission Against Corruption urging that investigations be carried out to determine whether Lew and Fanny Law Fan Chiu-fun, Leung's campaign director, had violated the Election Ordinance by engaging themselves in corrupt practices. Albert Ho Chun-yan, Chief Executive candidate and chairman of the Democratic Party, also expressed serious concern about "black gold" politics. And in a rare move that cost them several hundred thousand dollars, the HKU Students' Union placed a full-page announcement in eight newspapers, openly challenging Leung to clarify their suspicions about "black gold" politics. This attracted great publicity.

We would be happy to believe that the Democratic Party and the HKU Students' Union took a high-profile stance on the matter because they were genuinely worried that collusion between criminal elements and politicians would lead to "black gold" politics, which would be the ruin of Hong Kong. In this respect, the Democrats must not drop the issue now that Leung is free from suspicion, for the Lau Fau Shan dinner did have a "black gold" aspect that requires attention. If the Democrats and the HKU Students' Union do not press on with their demands for investigation, we can be excused for thinking that they were simply motivated by factional interests and an intent to influence the upcoming Chief Executive election. The Democrats in the Legislative Council should look into the Lau Fau Shan affair by invoking the Powers and Privileges Ordinance.

"Black gold" politics is not only a threat to a clean election, but, if infused into our governmental system, will lead to unimaginable corruption. In response to news about electoral malpractices, both Chief Secretary for Administration Stephen Lam Sui-lung and Electoral Affairs Commission chairman Barnabas Fung Wah have expressed their determination to keep Hong Kong's elections clean. We certainly hope that the authorities will eliminate the possible dangers of "black gold" politics, and build a solid foundation for a society that is fair, just and open.

明報社評 2012.03.14﹕黑金政治高高舉起 不應就此輕輕放下

「流浮山飯局」隨事態真相逐步浮現。結合鄉事派選委、劉夢熊和梁營所交代情，梁振英競選辦人員被指控聯同江湖人物會見鄉事派選委，已經不成立。在這個基礎上，港大學生會兩大質疑：梁振英是否推行「黑金政治」？梁振英競選團隊是否安排涉黑拉票飯局？就缺乏實質基礎。

雖然梁振英競選團隊洗脫污名，但是飯局被貼上黑金政治標籤而引起廣泛關注和迴響，主要是有江湖人物在飯局出現，所折射出郭與鄉事派和劉夢熊的另一面，同樣值得關注。

郭永鴻的江湖背景，使流浮山飯局蒙上黑金政治陰影，梁營得脫污名，但是郭永鴻與鄉事選委和劉夢熊的關係，仍然諱莫如深，鄉事選委和劉夢熊都有公職，在政治上有一定能量和影響力，真正關心香港核心價值的人，應該把視角投向這層關係。

在流浮山飯局沸沸揚揚之際，民主黨曾到廉署報案，要求廉署調查劉夢熊和梁振英競選辦主任羅范椒芬是否涉及舞弊，違反《選舉條例》，特首候選人之一的民主黨主席何俊仁也曾經就此提出黑金政治的質疑。另外，港大學生會罕有地斥數十萬元在8份報章刊登全版聲明，直接對梁振英提出黑金政治質疑，聲勢之大歷來僅見。

民主黨和港大學生會高調取態和行動，我們願意理解為憂慮黑社會介入政治、釀成黑金政治，使香港淪落到萬劫不復，如果這樣，民主黨高高舉起此事，卻不應因為梁振英洗脫嫌疑而輕輕放下，因為飯局所折射黑金另一面，同樣值得關注。若民主黨和港大學生會就此收兵，則難脫拉幫結派、黨同伐異的選舉操作之嫌。就民主黨而言，應該在立法會推動引用特權法，調查流浮山飯局的黑金元素。

黑金政治不僅衝擊廉潔公正的選舉文化，在現實政治上，若黑金政治成為管治基因，則政權之腐敗和腐朽，會超乎想像。日前，政務司長林瑞麟和選舉管理委員會主席馮驊，都曾就報道聲稱特首選舉有涉及不當行為，表達捍衛廉潔公正的選舉制度的決心；我們同樣期望權力當局清理黑金隱患，為良好管治和一個真正公平公正公開的香港社會，打下堅實基礎。

Glossary

surface﹕to become obvious after having been hidden for a while

pass over﹕to ignore or avoid something

factional﹕of or characterised by a small organised group (usually with a different or opposing stance) within a larger one

infuse﹕to give a particular quality; to have an effect on all parts of something

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