Democrats reject Hong Kong 'democracy blueprint'
Updated
Pro-democracy politicians in Hong Kong have rejected a new government proposal to change the way it chooses its leader and legislators.
They say the so-called 'democracy blueprint' unveiled by Chief Administration Secretary Henry Tang, falls short of the universal vote promised when Britain handed the territory back to Chinese rule in 1997. Under the proposed reform, the 800-strong committee that chooses Hong Kong's leader will be expanded, to include district councillors. The next Chief Executive election is due in 2012.
Presenter: Sen Lam
Speaker: Fred Li, Democratic Party of Hongg Kong member of the Legislative Council
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LI: It's not really much in the content itself in the blueprint forward yesterday, but it's really the guarantee, we don't have that. Because although the Chinese government promised by 2017 that we will have one man one vote for our Chief Executive, but still how the blueprint will lead us in that direction they didn't say at all. Only if the government tells us, the Chinese government tell us let's focus on 2012 package, and how we need to do universal suffrage, we don't know. And the more worry, even worried at the Legislative Council is one of us, I've been a member of the council for 20 years. We believe really fighting for full democracy, that means the full council, all 60 members should be directly elected.
LAM: And Fred as you said the government did indicate that there is provision for direct election of the Chief Executive by 2017. Some might see that as a good start?
LI: Yes but how we get there and the worry, what we worry about that is the threshold, the so-called Election Committee you need the names for those people in order to run for the campaign. Now it's 800 people, by 2012 the government proposed expansion of 1,200, and then what happens? By 2017 we have universal suffrage. If that is, the threshold is low, it's really put, give you difficulties to the one, the candidate, say from the Democrats, the one that they didn't like, so they used a threshold to ban you from really registering as a candidate. That's one of the major worries.
LAM: So is the Democratic Party offering an alternative to the government? Have you tabled any suggestions?
LI: We tabled suggestions, ok, we need assurance from the central government, from Beijing that means 2017 the election will be a genuine and real universal suffrage, the threshold will be lowered, so it's easier for the people to become candidates. I think that's one thing. For the Legislative Council the functional constituency should be abolished by 2020 as they promised we will have a full democracy, and universal suffrage. We need those guarantees, we need to see how the 2012 package will be there.
LAM: Do you think by expanding the current voting committee, the current base of 800 voters in Legco, that in a way it reinforces Beijing's influence over the electoral process in Hong Kong?
LI: You're quite right putting that because only say 400 new members, but mind you most of them are the business sectors, the businessmen, the professionals, they are easily manoeuvred, controlled, under the influence of the Beijing government. And they will not endorse any candidate that is not favoured by central government. So that's a threshold, that's really the one thing that worries me the most.
