Hong Kong (AsiaNews) – The Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong has called on Catholics and the general public to vote for democracy on May 16, this despite the government’s proposed reforms, backed by Beijing, which fall short of being democratic.
In 11 days, Hong Kong voters will vote in a by-election caused by the resignation of five pro-democracy members of the region’s Legislative Council (LegCo). The alliance of pro-democracy parties is calling on Hong Kongers to support its candidates and show the government that they want universal suffrage. They want the vote to become a “referendum for democracy” to get rid of the current system of functional constituencies and in support of the direct election of the region’s chief executive (head of government).
Under the current system, only half of the 60-member LegCo is elected by voters. The other half is elected by functional constituencies or handpicked by the government. This means that members of functional electoral colleges have two votes. Similarly, the chief executive is chosen by an 8o0-member Election Committee, most of whom are beholden to Beijing.
When Hong Kong was under British rule, the United Kingdom never granted the territory full democracy. Mainland China has done the same, reserving for itself the right to change the territory’s political institutions.
Concerned about a referendum-like vote, Hong Kong’s government came up last month with a package of political reforms that would be implemented in time for the 2012 elections. The draft proposal includes increasing the size of the Election committee from 800 to 1,200 and adding ten more seats to the LegCo. However, the authorities are concerned that this package could be turned down as a previous one was in 2005.
In recent days, government officials said that if the proposal is passed by the LegCo, Hong Kong's constitutional development could roll forward and pave the way for full democracy in the case of 2017 chief executive election and 2020 legislative election, a timetable set by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of 2007.
Li Gang, deputy director of Beijing’s Liaison Office in Hong Kong, called on pan-democrats to accept the government’s proposal for 2012 or things might get worse.
Lew Mon-hung, a Hong Kong delegate at the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, went so far as to say that those blocking the package would be committing a sing against history.
However, Audrey Eu, leader of the Civic Party, on her website said that Li’s argument is turning the truth upside down. Functional constituencies, which give the professional and business sectors an extra vote, must be abolished if universal suffrage is to be achieved.
Lina Chan, executive secretary of the Justice and Peace Commission, is working to get Catholic and non-Catholic voters to cast their ballot on May 16. She too is not satisfied with the government’s package. Even though the government revised its proposal claiming to have “enhanced more democratic elements” in the electoral methods, it “has not given any assurances or road map leading to a true universal suffrage on the chief executive and legislature of Hong Kong,” Ms Chan told AsiaNews.
Earlier, Card Joseph Zen told AsiaNews that he would head back to Hong Kong from Rome to vote. In the past, he had urged voters to support the goal of the “referendum” in order to show their support on universal suffrage.
Public opinion polls have regularly indicated that about 60 per cent of the people of Hong Kong are in favour of democracy. However, recent surveys also show that the public is not enthusiastic about this by-election, and that less than 30 per cent of voters said that they are likely to vote.
