All Hong Kong electoral reform to be "approved" by Beijing
This was declared by the central government's Constitutional Affairs Bureau. There was also a confirmation that there will be no universal suffrage in 2007-2008. Fears abound that the planned evolution towards full democracy will be hindered.
Beijing (AsiaNews/SCMP) Any change in Hong Kong's electoral reform must be "approved" by Beijing. This was noted in a document of the Constitutional Affairs Bureau of the central government, which experts of Hong Kong view as an instrument aiming to limit democracy in the former British colony.
The document, approved on Friday 18 November, therefore affirms that the Beijing government must be consulted before the election of every chief executive and legislative council of Hong Kong after 2007-08, as well as to decide whether changes are needed to the electoral system and what those changes should be.
This is held to be "in accordance with the principle of gradual and orderly progress" towards universal suffrage, to ensure that the electoral system does not "go backwards" if no agreement can be reached with legislators on reform.
This system, continues the Constitutional Affairs Bureau, will continue until "the final objective of universal suffrage is reached". If there are no reforms, the current regulations will remain in force until 2007-2008 and later, before any election, there will be the requirement to "submit a report to the central authorities ... regarding whether there is a need to make amendment to the electoral methods."
In this case, it will be the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress which will indicate "the provision to be followed in the event that there is no consensus" between legislators, the chief executive and the committee.
Experts consider the document to be another step towards sweeping out democracy in Hong Kong after it returned under Chinese rule in 1997. Since then, the people of the territory have been calling for universal suffrage and direct election of the chief executive head. Today, the electoral system in place allows Beijing to have the majority on the Legislative Council (Legco) and to decide who will be the chief executive, even if filo-government parties garner only the minority of popular votes. In recent weeks, the executive authorities submitted a package of reforms to Legco which goes in the opposite direction, providing for the appointment of district councillors by the government: it is these who will appoint the chief executive and members of the Legislative Council. The Democratic Movement has called a protest march on 4 December against the proposal, which will be voted in mid-December.
Already last April, the Standing Committee had decreed that there would be no direct elections of the governor or universal suffrage for 2007-2008.
Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Stephen Lam Sui-lung said that in the "unfortunate" event that consensus on reform of Hong Kong's electoral system is not reached by 2012, the system "will not reverse and will continue to operate according to the electoral system of the time".
Democratic Party chairman Lee Wing-tat did not give the document too much importance. "If there's a timetable for [the entering into force of] universal suffrage, the changes in each chief executive election are just a step forward".
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