本帖最後由 felicity2010 於 2014-7-10 10:05 PM 編輯 5.39.217.76 t3 b7 O; }& R* X9 E2 a" ]' p$ L
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華爾街日報刊文 斥匯豐、Big 4得益功能組別 反佔中無視法治崩壞8 W9 t/ Y% d0 j/ ?7 c% R O. h
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圖：華爾街日報網站截圖TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。$ p# c( u% a2 \' {3 N
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建制陣營開動輿論機器反對「佔領中環」，近日先有四大會計師事務所香港分部聯署反佔中，指佔中有損本港法治，之後又見匯豐發表研究報告，指佔中或損害香港經濟，建議投資者減持港股。繼《金融時報》昨日刊文批評四大誤解「法治」後，《華爾街日報》亞洲版評論員Joseph Sternberg昨撰文，直斥匯豐及四大「嚴重犯錯」（err badly），指香港若愈來愈似北京式威權社會，法治崩壞、民怨四起，對營商環境的壞影響遠較「佔領中環」等短期示威行動嚴重得多。/ A" T/ d( Z2 A- [/ r; @1 ^
+ I, j' X+ R0 o, @' M- x1 cStemberg昨發表文章Hong Kong's Talkative Companies，批評匯豐及四大高調否定「佔領中環」的做法，更指匯豐及四大等企業，得益於立法會功能組別設置，在選舉制度的影響力過大。
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# g, \! v8 z& m# x公仔箱論壇文篇花大篇幅香港功能組別制度的問題，指大公司在本港制度中，享有過大權力。Stemberg指出，匯豐及其屬下的恆生，各在金融界別及保險界別擁有一票，而這兩個界別的登記選民數僅百多人；而四大所屬的會計界別，雖然有數以萬計的會計師個人票左右結果，但四大隨時可透過香港總商會，影響兩席功能組別議席的人選。Stemberg認為，這種制度使大公司的政治表態倍具影響力，但大公司同時亦因在功能組別制度中得益，有損其名聲及其政治表態的說服力。tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb9 U* R3 b1 X( `, ~3 G
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Stemberg在文末提到四大員工回應公司的支持佔中聲明，指他們如此表態雖不符所屬行業的利益，但讚揚他們比其僱主更加明白，不論在政治還是經濟方面，爭取到真正的民主制度，才真正對全港市民有利。tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb/ V* {0 I& e) l4 ~* |
TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。( A" q* t" T% o
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7 }* G' N7 e) z- r; ~ Ntvb now,tvbnow,bttvbWSJ: Hong Kong's Talkative Companies
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The political left in America loves to complain that companies play an outsized role in politics, especially in the wake of Supreme Court rulings that confirm corporations have a right to engage in political speech. But if you want to visit a place that has a real problem with politically active corporations, you'll have to hop on a plane to Hong Kong.
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Some local companies have grown increasingly vocal in recent weeks in opposing pro-democracy activists. The Occupy Central movement—a respectable group, unlike those who camped out in Lower Manhattan a few years ago—is promising to bring gridlock to Hong Kong's central business district if Beijing doesn't follow through on its pledge to allow genuine democracy in the territory by 2017.
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Many businesses are concerned about the risks and costs of business disruption if parts of Hong Kong come to a standstill.The Hong Kong offices of the Big Four accounting firms late last month took out an ad in several local newspapers warning that the protests would"shake" international confidence in the territory and could send foreign investors fleeing.
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HSBCHSBA.LN -1.80% earlier this week issued a research report downgrading its view of Hong Kong stocks, citing the political instability and potential for "souring" relations between Hong Kong and Beijing that would arise from Occupy Central protests. After a public uproar, the bank partly backtracked by revising its report to list several other factors supposedly justifying such a downgrade.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb4 P' S, W' l1 o* V+ P& X' s3 B
/ s/ O1 G: w, l" a/ p9 Y4 m D6 c2 }* ltvb now,tvbnow,bttvbThe companies err badly on the merits. If it's allowed to continue, the territory's slide into Beijing-lite authoritarianism, with the loss of rule-of-law and concomitant rising public discontent, will be far worse for business than the temporary disruptions of a public protest. But in most political systems, including Hong Kong's (for now anyway), being wrong is not a crime. 公仔箱論壇7 r5 j2 O2 X# o) M+ t2 @
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The real problem is that Hong Kong law affords these companies an outsized role in the electoral system itself if they want one. Thirty-five of the 70 members in the territory's legislature, which will ultimately vote on any democratic-reform proposal, are elected from so-called functional constituencies, or industry-and other special-interest groups. Companies themselves are electors in many of these constituencies.5.39.217.761 u4 e6 X8 d; r4 J. \5 q- P+ w, h
7 Y0 d; }2 G& j. v0 u) K/ K5 N公仔箱論壇For example, the finance and insurance industries each get their own representative in the Legislative Council,elected by companies. Only 124 companies are registered to vote in the finance constituency, which encompasses banks; only 129 companies vote in the insurance constituency. Because HSBC and its subsidiary Hang Seng 0011.HK -0.16% Bank engage in both banking and insurance activities, each gets one vote in each constituency.
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, J. T8 J( E4 N* u) v' l$ CAt first the situation appears better with respect to the accounting firms. Only individual human beings who are certified public accountants are eligible to vote in the functional constituency for accountancy, and some 25,000 electors are registered to do so. That makes accountancy one of the most "democratic" functional constituencies,alongside education and health services. Even so, accountancy electors get two votes for Legislative Council since they are also eligible to vote in their geographical constituencies.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb% h9 V- ^! Z' _1 M# N
1 R6 t( P' n, Y) p; J! K" v9 a' ]公仔箱論壇Yet the Big Four have a back door path into functional-constituency voting, if they ever want to take advantage of it. One functional constituency, for general business, represents members of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. KPMG, EY, and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu already are members and PwC could join at any time. Spokesmen from EY and PwC tell me their firms are not currently registered to vote in any functional constituency and KPMG declined to comment; a spokesman for Deloitte didn't return a request for comment.
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2 Y8 Z+ l; A. [* v/ t$ S0 K U+ F+ }/ C5.39.217.76This gives corporate speech in Hong Kong far more weight than any of the false nightmare scenarios concocted by the left in America. In a one-person-one-vote democracy,corporate speech is merely a form of activism by a voluntary association (in this case, of the shareholders) to persuade voters on one issue or another. But in Hong Kong, companies themselves get to pick some of their lawmakers, and can be expected to do so for commercial reasons.
! f6 i0 Q# w2 P0 L8 e公仔箱論壇This might sound like a great boon for business, but it's not. Critics of HSBC and the Big Four suggest the companies are motivated by commercial concerns—the bank's extensive business interests in mainland China, or all the accounting contracts the Big Four have with large Chinese enterprises. This is the point. Functional constituencies are designed to be a pro-establishment bulwark. Businesses risk being discredited by virtue of having been co-opted into an electoral system that relies on them to oppose popular movements such as Occupy Central.Companies become tarnished by their association with it and their political speech grows less and less persuasive.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。" m, Q% Q3 s3 y$ K/ l( m- G' U
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In response to the Big Four newspaper ad, an anonymous group of the firms' employees bought their own ad supporting Occupy Central. To the extent that the universal suffrage those employees support undermines the influence of functional constituencies, the accountants are arguing against their electoral self-interest. But they seem to realize that real democracy is in the political and economic best interests of all Hong Kongers, and Hong Kong's companies. It's a more enlightened view than that of their employers.
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Mr. Sternberg edits the Business Asia column.
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發表於 2014-7-9 06:27 AM
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