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Top China official backs call to deny HK full democracy

HONG KONG — A top Chinese official yesterday put up a stout defence of Beijing’s decision not to grant the former British colony of Hong Kong full democracy, arguing that it is justified, logical and prevents the election of the city’s top leader from becoming too complicated and costly.

Pro-democracy activists clash with the police during a protest outside the hotel where China's National People's Congress Standing Committee Deputy General Secretary Li Fei is staying, in Hong Kong Sept 1, 2014. Photo: Reuters

Pro-democracy activists clash with the police during a protest outside the hotel where China's National People's Congress Standing Committee Deputy General Secretary Li Fei is staying, in Hong Kong Sept 1, 2014. Photo: Reuters

HONG KONG — A top Chinese official yesterday put up a stout defence of Beijing’s decision not to grant the former British colony of Hong Kong full democracy, arguing that it is justified, logical and prevents the election of the city’s top leader from becoming too complicated and costly.

But pro-democracy lawmakers heckled Mr Li Fei, Deputy Secretary-General of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, interrupting his speech, which they felt was filled with nationalistic overtones.

The legislators chanted slogans and held up placards accusing China’s central government of breaking its promise to let Hong Kong directly elect its leader.

Some stood on chairs and pumped their fists, waving signs that said “shameful” and “loss of faith”.

But Mr Li stood firm. “If we give in because some people engaged in illegal activities, that would only bring about more, worse law-breaking behaviour,” he said, in reference to the threat by pro-democracy group Occupy Central to mount civil disobedience protests in the commercial heart of the city.

On Sunday, the NPC — China’s legislative body and final arbiter on Hong Kong’s democratic affairs — said it had endorsed a framework to let only two or three candidates run in the 2017 vote for Hong Kong’s next leader. Each candidate would need the endorsement of more than half of a nominating committee that will be similar in composition to an existing 1,200-person election committee stacked with Beijing loyalists.

Mr Zhang Rongshun, vice-chairman of the NPC Standing Committee’s legislative affairs commission, yesterday defended the decision while speaking alongside Mr Li.

“Allowing the broadly representative nominating committee to nominate candidates would ensure the runners in the race to be patriotic and could by trusted by central government ... the system is meaningful,” Mr Zhang was reported as saying by South China Morning Post (SCMP).

Mr Li said voters may be confused if there were too many candidates to choose from. “People may not know what they advocate and what they have achieved before,” he said, citing city elections in the United Kingdom and Japan as examples of systems elsewhere which allowed parties to screen out unsuitable candidates.

Responding to a question after he delivered his speech, Mr Li also denied there was an unreasonable limitation on aspiring candidates, noting that there are usually two or three candidates running for the top post in the city. Every aspirant could run in the race after securing enough nominations, as long as they can obtain majority support from the nominating committee, added Mr Li.

“We cannot let our faith waver just because a very small group of people seek to undermine Hong Kong, undermine the Basic Law and undermine ‘One Country, Two Systems’,” SCMP reported Mr Li as saying.

On the surface, the NPC’s decision is a breakthrough that endorses the framework for the first direct vote by a Chinese city to choose its leader. Beijing is already hailing it as a milestone in democratic reform. But some democrats say that by tightly curbing nominations for the 2017 leadership poll, Beijing is pushing a Chinese-style version of “fake” democracy.

The NPC’s ruling came after months of reminders from Beijing that it is ultimately in charge of the city despite its substantial autonomy, a point reiterated by Mr Li yesterday.

But the proposed electoral framework will still have to be endorsed by two-thirds of Hong Kong’s 70-seat legislature. With pro-democracy lawmakers holding more than a third of the seats, the NPC’s proposal could still be shelved.

The noisy demonstration at the start of Mr Li’s speech yesterday was a rare occasion on which a Beijing official faced open defiance.

Mr Li continued his speech after security officers hustled disruptive lawmakers out of the auditorium, to applause from other members of the audience, including lawmakers and local councillors from pro-establishment parties and business leaders.

The police used pepper spray on members of a radical activist group that attempted to storm metal barricades and enter the venue.

Mr Li said if Hong Kong lawmakers voted down the package, governing Hong Kong would become much more difficult. The next leader would again be chosen by a small committee without any form of popular vote.

“Many pan-democrats also love the country and love Hong Kong. As long as they drop their biases, I’m sure the Universal Suffrage plan would be passed by (the Legislative Council),” Mr Li was quoted as saying by SCMP.

“If Occupy Central indeed happens, we believe the (Hong Kong) government and its well-trained police forces are fully capable of handling it,” he reportedly added.

Prominent pro-establishment figure and former Hong Kong security chief Regina Ip said she expected six months of unrest in the lead-up to Hong Kong lawmakers’ vote on the NPC proposal, local media reported. Student activists said they would begin boycotting classes in the middle of this month. AGENCIES

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