Beijing decides on political reforms
Hong Kong (AsiaNews) The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (Chinese Parliament) is meeting this week to define criteria for Hong Kong's election system according to the Basic Law. There are two issues at stake which interest Hong Kong public opinion: universal suffrage and the direct election of the territory's governor (or "chief executive") from 2007 onward.
The Basic Law, Hong Kong's mini-constitution signed by Great Britain and China years before the island's reversion to the mainland, establishes that "between 1997 (the year Hong Kong was returned to China) and 2007 the territory's chief executive must be re-elected by a committee of representatives". In the meantime, any election system can be revised provided it is approved by a 2/3 majority in the Legco (Hong Kong's Parliament).
Currently Hong Kong citizens do not enjoy universal suffrage and the territory's chief executive is in actual fact chosen by Beijing and approved by a mostly pro-China committee. In recent years, due to the failure of Tung Chee Hwa's economic program and his bowing to China, pressure has grown among the Hong Kong population to directly elect their own leaders and under rights of universal voting power. According to a South China Morning Post survey at least 79.9% of the population wants to elect the island's governor directly.
The imminent meeting of the Chinese parliament's Standing Committee has triggered both hopes and fears among people, as its members gather to "interpret" the Basic Law. Over the last few weeks, various Chinese leaders have criticized Hong Kong public opinion as well as that of the territory's Democratic Party representatives, while ruling out the possibility for amendments to election law prior to 2012.
Both yesterday and today anti-Tung Chee Hwa rallies were organized to criticize the governor who they say "sacrifices Hong Kong's autonomy by delegating decisions to Beijing."
Yesterday even Hong Kong's bishop, Msgr. Joseph Zen, criticized the Chinese government's method of interpreting Hong Kong's Basic Law. "It is the people who should decide democratic reforms," he said. "But it seems the Legco, our chief executive and the Hong Kong-China Relations Office cannot voice our opinions and understand our needs The only way to improve the situation is to elect a chief executive who we can remove from office if his efforts are not good enough."
The bishop's fear is that the Standing Committee will not interpret the Basic Law, but rather transform it by instituting various amendments. The prelate recalled that in 1999 the same committee changed criteria concerning asylum rights by prohibiting children of Hong Kong citizens born in China from reuniting with family members on the island.
Democratic Party member of Parliament, Martin Lee Chu-Ming, was among those he helped draft the Basic Law. He recalled that until 1990 Beijing was in agreement that after 2007 Hong Kong could establish its own system of elections.
Tsang Hin-chi, a Hong Kong member of the Standing Committee, ruled out the chance that there will be universal suffrage elections before 2007.
Beijing fears that Hong Kong's spirit of democracy will soon spread from Hong Kong to China, thereby sparking social tension on the mainland where the communist party wields absolute power. Even some Hong Kong businessmen fear that democracy may damage their deals and financial opportunities with China.
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08/11/2005
