各位IT朋友﹕

過去數星期，雖然立法會因審議財政預算案佔去不少正常會議程序的時間，但日常的工作也仍要繼續進行。上月底公共專業聯盟與香港理工大學社會政策研究中心舉辦了一場「選委對話－民主之路如何走？」公眾論壇，旨在與專業人士探討香港邁向民主普選的進程。連同我在內共有四位2011年選舉委員會成員，與「佔領中環」的倡議人戴耀庭教授一同討論。

政府遲遲都不肯啟動諮詢，逼使關心社會的學者和專業人士以「佔領中環」作為最後手段，製造討論空間和籌碼。因為大家都知道到此時此刻，連公眾諮詢都未啟動，討論和決定選舉辦法的時間明顯不足。愈來愈多看似擔當中央傳聲筒的人士對香港的政制前途說三道四，肆意為香港普選設下一個又一個既偏頗亦不客觀的所謂原則和條件。若然要承認經過種種扭曲、操作的選舉也是「真普選」，普選的意義定必被掏空。

我深信，現今社會出現的矛盾和爭議，源於制度不公，無法反映市民大眾的實際訴求。因此，我們才會矢志為確立一個民主公義的制度而努力。但爭取選舉民主只是發展民主社會的基礎。香港社會要繼續發展為成熟的公民社會，我們需要多元、理性、包容、尊重，亦要捍衛資訊、新聞和網絡自由。我希望能聽取各位IT界朋友的關於普選的意見，歡迎透過電郵與我討論或反映其他意見，謝謝！

莫乃光

議會發言
五月十四日：預算案辯論的發言：回應抽尾水的建制派

晴報專欄—IT天下
五月六日：沒有互聯網的一年
五月七日：只是人選擇自我孤立
五月八日：濫用不誠實取用電腦罪
五月九日：雲端及數據中心人力需求增
五月十日：新遊戲規則反映民意
五月十三日：3D打印手槍的啟示
五月十四日：水浸事件的啟示
五月十五日：環球城市數碼政府研究

信博(信報網上專欄)
五月三日：公帑賑災點解要G2G？
五月九日：協助組織未申請未經批准未發生的非法集結？

Dear IT friends,

In the past few weeks, much time for regular council business had to make way for debating the government’s budget, yet our work must go on. Last month the Professional Commons and the Centre for Social Policy Studies of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University jointly organised a public forum entitled ‘What’s Next for Democracy - A Dialogue Between Election Committee Members’, bringing together professionals from different sectors for a candid conversation on how to promote progress in democracy. The initiator of the ‘Occupy Central’ movement, Prof. Benny Tai Yiu-ting, was joined by four members from the 2011 Election Committee and myself for an engaging conversation.

While the government continues to stall the consultation on electoral reform, academics and professionals deeply concerned about our society are left with no option but to advocate ‘Occupy Central’ as the last resort to create space for much-needed debate and negotiation. The longer the delay to consult, the less time we have left with to consult the public, reach a decision and complete the necessary legislative procedures. More and more ‘mouthpieces’ of Beijing are putting across arbitrary prerequisites and principles and bending our expectation of future elections. If we are to accept these twisted, maneuvered versions as universal suffrage, what we get in the end could be meaningless.

I believe the conflicts in our society are deeply rooted in unfairness in society that has failed our people. It is why we steadfastly strive for a more democratic and just system. Yet electoral democracy is merely the foundation of a democratic society. To progress towards a more mature civil society, we need more diversity, reason, tolerance, mutual respect, and uphold our information, press and internet freedom. To this end I welcome your thoughts on the debate on universal suffrage. Please do not hesitate to share your views with me via email.

Charles Mok