2015-04-22
Pan-democrat protesters prepare to go on a hunger strike to call for “true” universal suffrage in Hong Kong, March 28, 2014
AFP
Pan-democratic lawmakers in Hong Kong walked out of the city’s legislature on Wednesday in protest after the government tabled a set of electoral reforms within strict limits laid down by Beijing.
Around 17 lawmakers walked out, shouting slogans against “fake universal suffrage,” after the territory’s second-in-command Carrie Lam told the Legislative Council (LegCo) that no amendments would be permitted to the reforms.
Pan-democratic lawmakers, who hold 27 out of 60 LegCo seats, have repeatedly vowed to block the proposed legislation when it comes to a vote. The government needs a two-thirds majority to pass legislation in LegCo.
Outside the chamber, around 100 protesters gathered, wearing yellow T-shirts and carrying the trademark yellow umbrellas of the Occupy Central pro-democracy movement, chanting “I want real universal suffrage! Oppose fake universal suffrage!”
Pan-democratic LegCo member Kenneth Leung said he had boycotted the entire session.
“It’s just another way to express my dissatisfaction with the whole proposal, because this proposal, I’ve heard it before, a year ago, and none of it has been changed,” Leung told reporters.
“That’s the sole reason. It’s a total waste of my time.”
Lam told the Council not to miss a “golden opportunity” to broaden the voting franchise in 2017 elections for the next chief executive, who is currently chosen by a 1,200 Beijing-backed committee.
“We have reached a crucial time in our political development, and whether or not we march forward or take a step backwards is in the hands of legislative councilors,” Lam said.
“I call on all LegCo members, especially our friends in the pan-democratic camp, to stop and think,” she said. “If LegCo rejects this package, then all our hopes of electing the chief executive with ‘one person, one vote’ will come to nothing, and the general public will be very disappointed.”
No room for change
The reforms as tabled by Lam were in line with guidelines issued by China’s parliament, the National People’s Congress (NPC), on Aug. 31, under which Hong Kong’s five million voters will each cast a ballot for the chief executive, but may only choose between two or three candidates pre-approved by Beijing.
Asked if there would be any opportunity to amend the package in LegCo, Lam replied: “The government sees the package as reasonable and there is no room for change.”
Pan-democratic Civic Party leader Alan Leong warned that accepting the government’s Beijing-backed proposals would mean no further reforms would be forthcoming.
“Once we have passed any electoral model announced today which is restrained by the National People’s Congress standing committee’s decision, that would be the ultimate electoral model envisaged by Article 45 of the Basic Law,” Leong told reporters.
“This is really meant to be the end-game.”
He rejected the slogan “pocket it for now,” meaning Hong Kong should take what it can get and continue to campaign for fully democratic elections in future.
“If we pocket it, that would mean we will give the executive and the central people’s government an excuse. There is no incentive for them to hand in their homework any more,” Leong said.
Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law, provides for the territory to progress to “universal suffrage,” but sets out neither a precise time-frame nor a definition of the term.
