FOR Hong Kong's biggest political grouping, the Democratic Party, tomorrow is the moment of truth. The Legislative Council, in which they were the biggest party, ended its last session on Saturday with tears and embraces. It will be replaced tomorrow by a handpicked provisional legislature, which will be sworn in at 1.30 a.m.
Yesterday Hong Kong's incoming chief executive, Mr Tung Cheehwa, promised there would be elections to a new council in May 1998. But the Democrats fear the system of election will prevent their getting a majority. And they are left with the question: what 10 they do now?
Beside the ferry terminal on Kowloon, supporters held a street forum on Saturday afternoon. A crowd of 100 young people sat on the pavement to listen to speeches. But this was no Tiananmen Square in the making. They did not wear headbands, the traditional Chinese sign that "something is starting", and many emphasised that they did not want to provoke China.
Indeed speakers said they should welcome reunification, consolidate their base in the community and take part in the 1998 elections. Some wrote slogans on a makeshift "democracy wall". They included "Colony of UK, now colony of China"; "Freedom is not an easy road but we have to fight it" and "One sad Queen. Many sad Hong Kong people".
Mr Szeto Wah, leader of an alliance of democratic groups, said "China is a shark, we are just a shrimp. But we are a poisonous shrimp, and if the shark swallows us it will vomit to death."
Yesterday the demise of the Democrats was illustrated in a botched attempt to release caged pigeons as a symbol of freedom during a sitdown by a handful of prodemocracy activists chanting "Power to the People" outside the centre where the hand over ceremony will take place.
The confused birds flopped out of the air onto a busy road and had to be rescued by police motorcycle patrolmen, One was crushed under the wheel of a bus,
Superficially, the end of colonial rule signifies that we will no longer be under foreign rule and repression," said Mr Andrew Cheng, a leader of the United Front Against the Provisional Legislature, which organised the protest. "But the establishment of the provisional legislature shows a short period of a dark age has come.
Mr Cheng loses his seat as one of 20 directly elected members of the 60 member Legislative Council when it is dissolved at midnight. He and his colleagues, who refused to take part in the provisional body, have been given permission to stage a protest in the assembly building in Statue Square during the handover ceremonies.
The Democratic Party members will be allowed to enter the legislative building to read their protests "for a reasonable amount of time", said a statement by the secretariat of the provisional legislature.
A rally will be held earlier in the day outside the building with speeches and songs. Student union members from five universities will distribute yellow ribbons symbolising a "desire for freedom and democracy", according to Mr Patrick Wong, student leader of Hong Kong University.
Mr Tung told prodemocracy activists yesterday that their freedom to protest would be limited after today. On the Breakfast with Frost programme he said that peaceful protests were part of Hong Kong's culture and would be permitted.
But there would be exceptions, such as "advocating the independence of Taiwan and Tibet", he said. "There, there will be problems. The feelings of Chinese people on these issues are quite straightforward, and this has to be taken into account also."
He said he would have no objection to his own effigy being burned in protest but when asked how the authorities would react if Chinese leaders were given the same treatment, he said: "It would depend under what circumstances this is being done."
Under laws ready for implementation tomorrow by the provisional legislature, police approval will be required to stage protests in future. Up to now, advance notice was all that was required.
The Legislative Council ended its final 23 hour final session on Saturday with members waving to the press gallery and promising to be back. The Democratic Party chairman, Mr Martin Lee, said as he left the chamber: "It's a mockery in the eyes of the world. Those who were elected are now being replaced by those who lost."
One of the most outspoken Democrats, Ms Emily Lao, said: "Once China takes over, Hong Kong will become disenfranchised. No Hong Kong citizen can say he or she is my elected representative. I don't think too many Hong Kong people trust China anymore.