Coz he really hates it really, but can’t say “no” to Beijing. He’s probably hoping for us to vote him out!!!!
Thu Apr 15,11:40 AM ET
By DIRK BEVERIDGE, Associated Press Writer
HONG KONG – Hong Kong’s leader said Thursday the territory’s electoral system should be reformed by the time his successor is chosen in 2007, but he stopped short of calling for democracy as many people in the territory want.
At a news conference, Tung Chee-hwa declined to say what reforms should be made, saying Beijing must agree on what changes are possible before Hong Kong could debate any details. In a report to the Chinese government, Tung recommended that Hong Kong changes how its Legislative Council is chosen by 2008.
Tung is trying to calm a controversy over Hong Kong’s political evolution, with thousands of people here clamoring for full democracy. China’s most powerful legislative committee said last week that any political reforms here must be approved in advance by Beijing.
Hong Kong was handed from British to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, with guarantees of civil liberties and strong autonomy for at least 50 years. But critics charge the latest developments have undermined those guarantees.
Although full democracy is set out as a goal in Hong Kong’s constitution, the Basic Law, there is no prescribed timetable.
Under Hong Kong’s partially democratic system, voters will be allowed to directly elect 30 of their 60 legislators in September, up from just 24 four years ago. The rest are picked by special interest groups that tend to side with Beijing.
Tung was chosen by an 800-member committee loyal to Beijing, but he is unpopular among Hong Kong’s 6.8 million residents, who see him as a puppet to the central government.
Pro-democracy lawmakers accused Tung of acting too quickly by issuing his recommendations to Beijing without adequately consulting the public.
“He’s operating inside a black box,” said legislator Fred Li from the opposition Democratic Party. “He pays no respect to the views of the Hong Kong people.”
Asked about criticism that he’s disregarded popular will in Hong Kong by hurriedly reporting back to Beijing, Tung told reporters it would be “inappropriate” to begin any political reform discussions before the central government gives its consent.
Critics charged that China was arbitrarily rewriting Hong Kong constitutional law to thwart the territory’s democratic aspirations, and a crowd estimated at up to 20,000 people marched in protest to Beijing’s local representative office on Sunday.
Tung met with reporters here after his constitutional affairs secretary, Stephen Lam, went to Beijing to present the report to a top mainland legislative official.
The United States has been critical of Beijing’s stance on democracy in Hong Kong, drawing fire from China that it was meddling.
Yan Sham-Shackleton Online 