HK unveils Beijing-backed election plan

Hong Kong's government Wednesday announced a road map for leadership elections that offered no concessions to the city's democracy camp — prompting opposition lawmakers to walk out of the plan's unveiling because the candidates will be selected by a pro-Beijing panel.

Deputy leader Carrie Lam said the first-ever public vote for the post of chief executive in 2017 would be held in “strict compliance” with a ruling by China's National People's Congress last August.

That ruling stated that candidates for chief executive must first be approved by a committee loyal to Beijing — a decision that sparked more than two months of street protests, some violent, last year. Hundreds were arrested during what was called the Occupy Central protest movement that marked the city's most tumultuous period since China took control of the territory from Britain in 1997.

Lam said that Hong Kong's 5 million eligible voters in 2017 would choose from two to three candidates chosen by a 1,200-strong nominating committee composed of tycoons and others viewed as sympathetic to the mainland Chinese government. Lam said the reforms would allow for up to 10 possible candidates to be shortlisted by the panel, which would then winnow the number down to three candidates through a secret ballot.

“These proposals are in strict compliance with the Basic Law (Hong Kong's constitution) and the relevant decisions of (China's) Standing Committee of the National People's Congress,” Lam said.

“At the same time they fully take into account the views expressed by various sectors of the community,” she added.

Hong Kong's deeply unpopular current leader, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, urged lawmakers to vote in favor.

“Launching political reform is not easy,” said Leung, who was hand-picked for the job by the elite committee. “If it's vetoed this time, I believe it will be a number of years before we can launch it again.”

Most pro-democracy legislators marched out of the chamber following Lam's speech, and long-expected proposals could spark renewed protests by student leaders and others.

“The pan-democrats would like to condemn strongly the government,” said Civic Party lawmaker Alan Leong, one of those who walked out.

“We will launch a campaign to oppose the proposal and we will ask the Hong Kong public to continue to seek true universal suffrage,” he added.

Pro-democracy lawmakers wore T-shirts and displayed placards emblazoned with a yellow Xs, symbolising their intention to block the proposal when it comes to the vote in the legislature in the coming months.

Protesters gathered outside the government complex with pro-democracy demonstrators calling for “true universal suffrage” and carrying yellow umbrellas — a symbol of the movement.

They were met with pro-government protesters waving large Chinese national flags. 

Joshua Wong, the teenage student leader who became the protest movement's most famous face, dismissed the reform package.

“Those minor adjustments raised by the government are totally useless,” said the 18-year-old Wong. “We hope to have the freedom to choose rather than just get the right to elect some of the candidates.”

He said that he and other members of his Scholarism group would protest on Saturday in neighborhoods where Lam and other government officials are expected to canvas for support from residents.

Wire services