FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Our proposal to end the Occupy Central movement

The Lion Rock Institute is deeply concerned with the current civil discord in Hong Kong.

We recognize that the current civil discord surrounds the question of constitutional arrangements in Hong Kong concerning the election of the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council. We believe the settlement of constitutional arrangements to be of paramount importance and ranks clearly above all other issues.

We recognize that the current atmosphere in Hong Kong is highly fractious and that debate on the streets is highly inefficient in settling the issue one way or the other.

We recognize that the function of a legislative debating chamber is to channel the sentiments on the streets into a venue where efficient debate and policy formulation can take place.

We recognize that many of those participating in civil disobedience do not believe that the current set up of the legislative council with its members returned from functional constituencies is legitimate.

While we remain a public policy institute focused on economic policies, we are very disappointed that no proposals have been proposed from any side that could end the standoff.

Hence we propose the following.

1. The Legislative Council reconvene as soon as possible and place the bill concerning the constitutional arrangements for the election of the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council as their first and only item of business. The entire question be settled with a vote by the members as soon as possible and no other business be attended to before this happens.
2. The 30 Legislative Council Members returned from Functional Constituencies other than those returned from District Council (Second) refrain from debate on the issue and commit to vote with the majority of the remaining 40 members when they come to a settlement either way.

We believe once the constitutional arrangements in Hong Kong concerning the election of the Chief Executive in 2017 and the Legislative Council in 2016 are decided by the Legislative Council, the current civil discord would end.