Beijing emissary and occassional casino operator Stanley Ho has received the word and has shared it with the children of Hong Kong. Despite rumours to the contrary, Beijing already has a timetable for democracy in Hong Kong. If only Hong Kongers would stop asking for it, Beijing will deliver. Sure it sounds like you're dealing with six year olds, but that's what passes for political discourse in these parts. Buried in good ol' Stanley's warnings that Hong Kongers don't know what's good for themselves and should just wait for those that know better in Beijing, comes this:

"I have met some high-ranking central leaders regarding this issue. They told me that I can pass their message to the democrats," Ho said.

"Their reply is: the introduction of universal suffrage will not be later than 2046. Even if we can have democracy in 2046, the central government is still fulfilling its promise made in the Basic Law."

This Sunday will see many Hong Kongers out on the streets in the latest example of mob politics. The tycoons and grandees keep telling us these marches don't work, even though they resulted in the toppling of Tung Che-hwa and the binning of the Article 23 legislation. Hong Kongers know better.

David Webb has today's must read on everything that is wrong with Hong Kong's current electoral arrangements and especially the rotten boroughs (functional constituencies) with their veto power, easy manipulation, and perverse incentives, taking the transport sector seat as an example. Incredibly amongst the tycoons that control several votes each, other voters include the governments of Singapore, Dubai, the mainland Government and Hong Kong Government itself! It will make you angry enough to march on Sunday.