'Hard-earned opportunity' (Hong Kong)

HK 'to elect its leader by 2017'

Donald Tsang said Hong Kong had entered an "important new phase"

Hong Kong's chief executive has said Beijing plans to allow the special region to directly elect its leader by 2017 and legislators by 2020.

Donald Tsang said the announcement was a "most important step" for the future of the former British colony, which became part of China in 1997.

The move comes after Mr Tsang submitted a report requesting elections by 2012.

Hong Kong's leader is chosen currently by an 800-member committee. Half the 60-seat Legislative Council is elected.

The region is governed under the principle of "one country, two systems", under which China has agreed to give it a high degree of autonomy and to preserve its economic and social systems for 50 years from the date of the handover.

Its constitution provides for the development of universal suffrage as the "ultimate aim", but is vague about the date.

'Hard-earned opportunity'

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's parliament, issued a ruling on Saturday saying it would consider allowing direct elections for the election of Hong Kong's leader in 2017.

We are grateful and we welcome Beijing's decision - it sets a clear timetable for electing the chief executive and legislators Donald Tsang Hong Kong Chief Executive Send us your comments

"The session is of the view that... the election of the fifth chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2017 may be implemented by the method of universal suffrage," it said, according to the Xinhua news agency.

The standing committee added that if the chief executive was elected directly, it would then consider introducing universal suffrage for the Legislative Council election in 2020.

However, it ruled out full democracy at the chief executive election in 2012, saying only "appropriate revisions" might be made to the selection method.

Hong Kong became a special administrative region of China in 1997

Mr Tsang, the current chief executive, said in a report submitted to the NPC before the decision that a majority of Hong Kong wanted direct elections by 2012, although he said a delay until 2017 stood a "better chance of being accepted".

At a televised press conference held after the NPC's decision was announced, Mr Tsang said Hong Kong had "entered an important new phase" with a target date for universal suffrage having been defined.

"We are grateful and we welcome Beijing's decision. It sets a clear timetable for electing the chief executive and legislators," he said.

"We must treasure this hard-earned opportunity."

However, Ronny Tong, one of Hong Kong's leading pre-democracy campaigners, told Hong Kong Cable TV that he was "deeply disappointed".

北京准普選 一張芭樂票

【聯合報╱記者陳競新】 2007.12.30 02:46 am

香港2017年「可以實行」特首普選？香港很多親北京人士和港府官員認為，一向講求策略靈活的北京，在香港政制改革上作出如此具體的承諾，極罕見。 設立高門檻 不同一般直選 但深究「可以實行」四個字背後的含意，卻包含著一連串前提，使2017年「可以實行」普選特首，不但異於一般所認知「一人一票、票票等值」的普選，也讓主流的香港泛民主派陷入兩難之中。 譬如，全國人大常委會的決定，除明定人大常委會在修法過程中，享有多重的審批權，普選特首須依基本法規定，組成一個有「廣泛代表性」的提名委員會，按「民主程序」提名若干候選人，再由選民普選，交北京中央任命。 前提有夠多 空泛的時間表 問題來了！提名委員會由多少人組成？提名特首候選人的程序如何？提名多少位候選人才交由一人一票選舉產生？換言之，2017年普選特首，背後的「篩選機制」怎麼定？提名委員會將如何「篩選」出符合北京意願的特首候選人？ 民主黨主席何俊仁便質疑，2017年可以普選特首，可能只是「空泛的時間表」；民主黨前主席李柱銘大聲疾呼，2017年才落實普選特首，比泛民主派要求的 時間（2007年）晚了十年，普選的模式極為關鍵。他質疑：「普選行政長官，是否等於有高門檻，即篩選過程，令北京可以挑兩個候選人給香港人，才辦一人一 票？」 愛港更愛國 才會獲得提名 香港特首選舉過去一直是「小圈子選舉」，但今年上半年舉行的特首選舉中，泛民主派的梁家傑竟突破一百名提名委員會連署支持的門檻，爆出大冷門，與北京關愛 的曾蔭權同台成為正式候選人。梁家傑雖落敗，但親北京陣營圈半年來不斷傳出提高門檻的聲音，以保證未來只會有「愛國愛港」、北京接受的候選人，才能獲得特 首提名。 親北京的香港「文匯報」數天前，題為「2017普選特首、中央會積極考慮」的社論，論點十分有趣：「行政長官向中央提交的報告，實際上是一份普選時間表， 如果人大決定修改2012選舉辦法，而具體修改方案再遭到反對派（泛民主派）議員的否決，本港政制將再次原地踏步，2017普選特首可能成為未知之數。」 十年後普選 六成港人支持 這段文字顯示北京早已決定讓香港在2017年「可以落實」普選特首，但「普選」的概念有待澄清，而這無疑是北京拋回給泛民主派的燙手山芋。 特區政府在2005年底，拋出政制改革方案，泛民主派以沒有普選時間表，予以否決，民意竟將香港政制在朝向普選目標道路上原地踏步的責任，指向泛民主派； 超過六成的民意支持2012年落實雙普選。香港中文大學一項調查顯示，若北京否決2012年雙普選，有逾六成的受訪者接受2017年才普選特首，反映香港 人面對北京的強硬態度，對於普選時間，極具妥協空間。 北京出高招 分化泛民主派 泛民主派也要妥協嗎？香港明年的立法會議舉，關係到各黨派政治勢力消長，影響未來如何實行普選；泛民主派這次如何回應，備受關注。泛民主派已出現「激進」 與「務實」的分歧路線，顯示北京這招2017「可以落實」普選特首，已激起泛民主派躁動，為其明年的立法會選舉投下變數。