The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC)
adopted a decision Monday which favors modification of the existing
methods for selecting the Hong Kong's chief executive in 2007 and
forming the Legislative Council in 2008, but rules out the
possibility of universal suffrage for the upcoming elections.
The decision was made in response to Chief Executive Tung Chee
Hwa's report on whether such methods need to be amended.
"The method of universal suffrage shall not apply to" the
election of the Third Chief Executive of the HKSAR in 2007, nor to
the election of all members of the Fourth Legislative Council of
the HKSAR in 2008, the Decision said.
The half by half ratio for members of the Council from
functional groups and from constituency election shall remain
unchanged, the Decision said, adding that the procedures for voting
on bills and motions in the Legislative Council shall remain
unchanged.
However, the Decision said that specific methods for selecting
the Chief Executive in 2007 and forming the Legislative Council in
2008 could be "appropriately modified" in the principle of gradual
and orderly progress and in accordance with the Basic Law, the
Decision said.
The NPC Standing Committee explained in the decision that Hong
Kong's history for democratic election is not long, and it has been
for no more than seven years that Hong Kong residents have
exercised the democratic rights of participating in selecting the
HKSAR Chief Executive.
Since Hong Kong's return to the motherland, the number of
directly-elected members in the Legislative Council has been
increased remarkably. After half of the members are directly
elected in constituency and half are elected by functional groups,
the influence of the directly-elected members upon Hong Kong
society's general operation, especially the influence upon the
executive-led mechanism is yet to be tested by practice, it
said.
Moreover, various social circles in Hong Kong currently still
have considerable differences about methods for selecting the Chief
Executive and for forming the Legislative Council after 2007,and no
broad consensus has been reached yet, it noted.
Under such circumstances, conditions do not satisfy the general
election of the Chief Executive and the general election of all
Legislative Council members, the Decision said.
The NPC Standing Committee said, "it is the consistent stance of
the Central Authorities" to develop democracy in Hong Kong in the
principle of gradual and orderly progress and in the light of
specific conditions of the region, in accordance with the Basic Law
of Hong Kong.
The final goal will surely be reached as provided for by the
Basic Law that the Chief Executive will be elected through
universal suffrage after nomination by a nomination committee with
broad representation through democratic procedures, and all the
members of the Legislative Council be elected through universal
suffrage, the Decision said.
(Xinhua News Agency April 26, 2004)