News: Democratic Parties Protest Against China’s Constitutional Interpretation

Posted byYan Sham-ShackletonPosted inAwaiting a Democratic HK

Awaiting a Democratic Hong Kong

Oh my Central Government Makes it so hard to love my country sometimes.

HONG KONG, (AFP) – Hong Kong’s pro-democracy party have taken to the streets in protest at Beijing’s plan to examine key constitutional provisions dealing with the future selection of the territory’s government.

The protest kicked off a series of actions expected to take place this week.

Some 30 representatives of the Democratic Party, including chairman Yueng Sum and former chairman Martin Lee, gathered outside the Legislative Council, then proceeded to the Central Government Office, calling for democracy and universal suffrage in the city.

“(Beijing) has the right to interpret the Basic Law but it can’t use it whenever, however it wants … which makes us think the Basic Law exists in name only,” Sum said.

Another pro-democratic party, the Frontier, is also expected to hold demonstrations Sunday afternoon and Monday to oppose the decision by China’s top legislature, the Standing Committee of National People’s Congress, to interpret two articles in the mini-constitution.

The two articles concern the selection of the chief executive “subsequent to the year 2007” and the forming of the Legislative Council “after 2007”.

Under the Basic Law, an agreement approved by Beijing and Britain before the handover in 1997, the ultimate aim is to allow Hong Kong to enjoy universal suffrage in the selection of its chief executive and legislature.

Although it says suffrage can be considered after 2007, the timing is not specified.

The Standing Committee will present its opinion on the articles at its upcoming meeting on April 2-6.

The Frontier slammed Beijing’s move, saying it is a breach of faith regarding the “one country, two systems” principle under which the former British colony was returned to China in 1997.

“The plan by the central government … will certainly undermine the ‘one country, two systems’ principle, erode Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy … and it goes against the wishes of the Hong Kong people,” said the Frontier in a statement Sunday.

“We are very upset by its move,” it added.

The South China Morning Post reported Sunday that pro-democracy legislators had demanded a special council meeting be convened on Wednesday, inviting Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa to discuss Beijing’s plan.

The Legislative Council is currently on its Easter break.

The 22 pro-democracy lawmakers are also planning a joint press conference Monday to express their views on Beijing’s move. Pro-democracy district councillors will also hold a press conference on Tuesday to discuss the issue.

Sum of the Democratic Party said the party is discussing a possible mass march for April with The Civil Human Rights Front coalition.

A candlelight vigil in Chater Garden has been planned for Thursday, according to the coalition of 52 nongovernment organisations.

The Basic Law Committee met in Beijing Saturday to prepare for the pending NPC Standing Committee meeting.

Committee chairman Qiao Xiaoyang said Saturday the “interpretation” will help resolve the longstanding row over the pace of political reforms.

Published by Yan Sham-Shackleton

Yan Sham-Shackleton is a Hong Kong writer who lives in Los Angeles. This is her old blog Glutter written mostly in Hong Kong from 2003 to 2007. Although it was a personal blog, Yan focused a lot on free speech issues and democratic movement in Hong Kong. She moved to the US in 2007.

6 thoughts on “News: Democratic Parties Protest Against China’s Constitutional Interpretation”

  1. This is why an independent judiciary works so well. When legislators pass laws, and later legislators have the oppportunity to interpret them, the result can be inconsistency – or in case of agreements with foreign governments, once the political winds have shifted, the agreement could be subverted with a liberal interpretation.
    Hell, even a Constitutional Court would work – a court whose exclusive jurisdiction is to interpret the existing Basic Law and provide judicial review of legislation to determine that it is consonant with the Basic Law.

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  3. Three times three to the lawless law-making body. Hip, hip, hurray! Hip, hip, hurray! Hip, hip, hurray! Since this is the order of the day to act before discuss as the mood hits, that makes clear the way for a lawless Hong Kong to take on the characteristics of his mother(land). Like mother, like son. A very logical development.

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