News: Hong Kong Democrats Defeat Beijing-Backed Political Changes

Hong Kong Democrats Defeat Beijing-Backed Political Changes
By KEITH BRADSHER

HONG KONG, Thursday, Dec. 22 – Democracy advocates on Wednesday night defeated a government-backed legislative proposal to revamp the political system here, dealing a sharp setback to the chief executive and to Beijing, as well as to the prospects for any substantial political changes here soon.

Donald Tsang, the Beijing-backed chief executive, had lobbied lawmakers extensively for two months and, in a departure from past practice for leaders here, had even walked city streets to buttonhole passers-by and ask them to support the plan. The two-part proposal called for doubling the number of people allowed to vote for chief executive, to 1,600, and for expanding the Legislative Council to 70 members, from 60.

But democracy advocates were united in opposing the plan because it did not include a timetable for one-person-one-vote general elections.

It was the first time that democrats defeated an important government-backed bill since Britain returned the territory to China in 1997, and the first time a vote has been held on a constitutional issue requiring a two-thirds vote for passage. In 2003, the government withdrew stringent internal security legislation when it appeared likely to fail.

The defeat will not force Mr. Tsang to step down since he has broad public support in polls. But it leaves the democrats, the Hong Kong government and Beijing without any clear path out of an impasse over democratic reforms that has produced a series of large marches here.

The police estimated that 2,100 people attended a long pro-democracy vigil outside the legislature in chilly weather on Wednesday night.

Bernard Chan, an independent lawmaker with pro-government leanings, warned in the debate that defeat of the legislation would poison relations with officials in Beijing.

"The democrats only look at the timetable and ignore the benefits of the proposal," he said before voting yes. "This will only worsen the relationship among the Chinese government, the Hong Kong government and the democrats."

But Yeung Sum, a senior Democratic Party lawmaker, said shortly after the vote that a long-term commitment to democratic principles was more important than the day-to-day relationship with Beijing. He said the debate had involved a basic question: "When will there be universal suffrage? Tell me when the demand is reasonable."

The wrangling over democracy and protests poses a quandary for Chinese leaders. They have strongly opposed political change on the mainland. But they have also tried to maintain Hong Kong as a prosperous, peaceful place that can continue to function as China’s main financial center and as a source of managerial expertise and investment capital.

Lee Wing-tat, the Democratic Party chairman, acknowledged this fall that it would be hard for the Chinese Communist Party to commit itself to a schedule for elections here without undermining its ability to oppose any similar demands that might surface someday in Shanghai or other big Chinese cities. There was no immediate reaction from Chinese officials to Wednesday’s vote here.

The legislature voted just before sunset on Wednesday on rules for the election of the chief executive in 2007 and just after midnight on rules for legislative elections in 2008.

Under special rules for constitutional initiatives, Mr. Tsang’s proposal required a two-thirds council majority, or 40 votes. But only the 34 pro-government lawmakers voted for each plan, while 24 pro-democracy lawmakers opposed both.