|
 The rejection had been expected and will likely appease some
activists who had demanded a veto of what they call a "fake"
democratic model for how the Chinese-controlled territory chooses
its next leader in 2017.
But it was a setback for Beijing's Communist leaders, who said in
response that they remained committed to universal suffrage for Hong
Kong but signaled no further concessions to the pro-democracy
opposition.
Beijing had pressured and cajoled the city's pro-democracy lawmakers
to back the blueprint that would have allowed a direct vote for the
city's chief executive, but with only pre-screened, pro-Beijing
candidates on the ballot.
The vote came earlier than expected, with only 37 of the 70 members
of the Legislative Council, known as "legco", present. Of these, 28
legislators voted against the blueprint and eight voted in favor,
while one did not cast a vote.
"Today 28 legco members voted against the wishes of the majority of
Hong Kong people, and denied them the democratic right to elect the
chief executive in the next election," said the city's current
pro-Beijing leader Leung Chun-ying.
 "Universal suffrage for the chief executive election has now been
blocked. Universal suffrage to elect all members of legco has also
become uncertain. I, the government and millions of Hong Kong people
are disappointed."
A spokesman for China's top legislative body, the National People's
Congress (NPC), said a few Hong Kong lawmakers remained "stubbornly
opposed" to the central government.
"It fully exposes their selfish interests, hinders Hong Kong's
democratic development and damages the essence of Hong Kong's
prosperity and stability," the spokesman said, in comments carried
by state news agency Xinhua.
"VICTORY OF DEMOCRACY"
In an unexpected twist, moments before the ballot a large number of
pro-establishment and pro-Beijing lawmakers suddenly walked out of
the chamber. The votes of one-third of legco members are sufficient
to push through a veto.
Democratic lawmakers, all 27 of whom voted against the plan, marched
to the front of the chamber immediately after the veto and unfurled
a sign calling for genuine universal suffrage and for Hong Kongers
not to give up.
Some carried the yellow umbrellas that became a symbol of the mass
protest movement that brought parts of the former British colony to
a standstill last year.
"This veto has helped Hong Kong people send a clear message to
Beijing ... that we want a genuine choice, a real election," said
pan-democratic lawmaker Alan Leong.
"This is not the end of the democratic movement," he said. "This is
a new beginning."
Outside the legislature, pro-democracy protesters broke into cheers
and clapped wildly after the result.
"It's a victory of democracy and the people," said a 75-year-old
pro-democracy protester surnamed Wong, who fought back tears.
[to top of second column] |
Meanwhile, around 500 pro-Beijing supporters outside the chamber
staged a minute's silence then began chanting: "Vote them down in
2016!" calling for democratic lawmakers to be kicked out of the
legislature in a citywide election next year.
Hundreds of police were in and around government headquarters with
thousands more on standby, but there were no reports of trouble.
Weeks of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong late last year posed
one of the biggest challenges in years for China's ruling Communist
Party. Then, more than 100,000 people took to the streets.
ONLY OPTION
The reform proposal was laid out by the NPC Standing Committee in
Beijing last August and supported by Hong Kong's pro-Beijing
leadership.
Opponents, however, want a genuine democratic election in line with
Beijing's promise of universal suffrage made when the territory
returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
Rejection of the proposal now means going back to the old system
where a 1,200-member committee stacked with pro-Beijing loyalists
selects Hong Kong's leader.
Democratic lawmakers want on Beijing to restart the democratic
reform process and put forward an improved, truly democratic
electoral package.
But the NPC spokesman indicated that would not happen, saying that
Beijing's proposal was a "constitutional, lawful, fair and
reasonable" decision. "It is legally binding and unshakeable," he
said.
Hong Kong lawmaker Michael Tien said that meant the rejected
blueprint remained the only option. "It's very simple. They put
forward a proposal. The legislature for this term vetoed it," he
said.
"Next year is legco elections. The power is now in the hands of the
voters. If the voters really want the current package they would
then have to choose candidates that will support this package in the
next term."
(Additional reporting by James Pomfret, Clare Baldwin, Twinnie Siu,
Saikat Chatterjee, Farah Master, Venus Wu, Viola Zhou, Shan Kao and
Michelle China in HONG KONG, David Brunnstrom in WASHINGTON and Ben
Blanchard and Sui-Lee Wee in BEIJING; Writing by Anne Marie
Roantree; Editing by Alex Richardson)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
