China says HK reform rejection against people’s will

By Brian Rhoads

BEIJING (Reuters) – China criticized Hong Kong
pro-democracy lawmakers on Thursday for blocking a
controversial election reform package, saying it ran counter to
public opinion and the desires of the Chinese central
leadership.

The pro-democracy lawmakers voted down the controversial
package on Wednesday, dealing a blow to the city’s leader,
Donald Tsang, who argued that it was a major step toward
democracy.

A Chinese cabinet office spokesman said China and Hong
Kong’s leaders and the public were “unwilling to see the result
as which is not in line with the mainstream of the public
opinions in Hong Kong,” Xinhua news agency reported.

While the report did not specifically mention the
pro-democracy camp, the spokesman was quoted as saying China
fully agreed with Tsang’s statements and appreciated the
special administrative government’s efforts to promote reform.

Hong Kong, a former British colony, returned to Communist
China in 1997 with promises of wide-ranging autonomy.

The package was presented to the 60-member legislature in
two parts — a motion to expand the hand-picked committee that
selects Hong Kong’s chief executive, and another that would
have added 10 seats to the legislature, five directly elected.

But the democratic camp rejected it because it did not set
out a timetable for when the territory would realize universal
suffrage.

Despite mass protests and widespread calls for full
democracy, China has been unwilling to let the territory decide
for itself when it can elect top leaders. Hong Kong’s chief
executive and Legislative Council are instead selected by
hand-picked committee for terms of five years.

With the package’s failure, the method of selecting Hong
Kong’s leaders would remain governed by the Basic Law, the
mini-constitution used since 1997, and the Chinese parliament’s
reviews of that law, the spokesman said.

“It is a persistent stance of the central government to
support the development of democracy in proper order in Hong
Kong in line with the Basic Law,” said the spokesman, from the
Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council.

“We hope sincerely that all Hong Kong people will find out
a suitable road leading to the development of Hong Kong
democracy with a reasonable and realistic attitude and sense of
responsibility for the history.”

China’s central government would “spare no efforts” to
“safeguard and promote the long-standing prosperity and
stability of Hong Kong along with the citizens.”