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Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said that this electoral reform is led by the central government and the SAR cooperates.
After returning to Hong Kong from Beijing, Hong Kong Executive Director Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor met with the media today and said that the reform of Hong Kong’s electoral system is led by the central government. He expressed respect and welcome, and will cooperate and support the improvement of future legislative work.
Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said that Hong Kong’s electoral system “has loopholes and flaws” that endanger national sovereignty, which is difficult for the SAR government to handle. The situation is the same as the formulation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, and the central government “has no choice but to act.”
Carrie Lam said that the central government’s decision to reform the elections is necessary, legal, constitutional and “unquestionable.”
Two sessions of China: Beijing moves forward to reform Hong Kong’s electoral system
Central leadership, special zone cooperation
The day before Carrie Lam’s statement, Vice Premier Han Zheng, who was in charge of Hong Kong and Macau affairs, met him in Beijing.
The National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference are currently being held in Beijing. The draft decision on improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will be considered. It aims to review the method for selecting the Hong Kong Chief Executive and Legislative Council, and amend Annex 1 and Annex 2 of the Basic Law. The motion has received wide international attention and is seen as a central government move to fundamentally crack down on the opposition in Hong Kong.
During the “two sessions”, Han Zheng said sternly: “No country will tolerate the sabotage activities of the separatist forces and must take effective, necessary and rule of law measures to improve the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. “.
Han Zheng also said that to “ensure that Hong Kong people with patriots as the main body governing Hong Kong, ensure that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is governed by law and effective government, and that” a country, two systems “Hong Kong always moving in the right direction, the patriots must be guaranteed by the rule of law.”
Carrie Lam said on Monday that she is “in full agreement” with the five principles proposed by Xia Baolong, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, for “patriots ruling Hong Kong”, that is, things must be done strictly in accordance with the Constitution and the Basic Law; the leadership of the central government must be respected; The current situation in Hong Kong; the management-led system must be implemented and there must be a sound system guarantee.
He said that this reform of the electoral system of the Legislative Council is led by the central government and will not adopt the usual procedure of modification of the Chief Executive and the method of formation of the Legislative Council, that is, the “Five Steps of Political Reform”, including the approval of two thirds of the political reforms by all members of the Legislative Council Program.
Carrie Lam said that the power of the National People’s Congress comes from the Constitution and the Basic Law, has a clear legal basis and is managed at the central level without any other procedure.
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During the hearing of 47 pro-democracy detainees, some supporters expressed their support.
The Hong Kong government’s next step
Carrie Lam said that the SAR government will cooperate with the central government’s decision in three stages.
The first stage consists of explaining to the public the decision of the central government. In the second stage, after the National People’s Congress authorizes the amendment of Annex 1 and Annex 2 of the Basic Law, the government of the RAE will listen to the opinions of all areas of life on the substantive content and will put itself in contact with the delegation. The third stage is local legislation, the government of the RAE will have a leading role, once approved by the union, it will be submitted to the Legislative Council for review and approval.
Carrie Lam emphasized that the work of amending the legislation is quite complicated, it involves more than 20 laws. The Hong Kong Office of Constitutional and Mainland Affairs and the Department of Justice will have responsible full-time colleagues. After implementing the amendments in Annex 1 and Annex 2 of the Basic Law, the RAE will organize multiple elections in the next 12 months.
Legislative council election uncertain
Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said that amending the local laws of the electoral system requires a multi-step process. There will be many elections in the future. At this time, it is unclear whether the general elections of the Legislative Council will be postponed again.
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Carrie Lam is in Beijing.
He said that in the future, the Election Committee will have new powers and will elect a greater proportion of the members of the Legislative Council, so the Election Committee elections must be held before the Legislative Council elections.
Last year, the Hong Kong government postponed the Legislative Council election originally scheduled for September due to the new crown epidemic, and the current Legislative Council’s term was extended by one year. Prior to this, Hong Kong Democrats had won a major victory in the district council elections and originally hoped to win more than half of the seats in the legislative council elections.
However, the Hong Kong police have charged 47 people who participated in the democratic primaries with “conspiracy to subvert state power.” The first hearing just ended last week, some people were released on bail, while the rest continued in pre-trial detention. The case has received great attention from the international community.
Hong Kong National Security Law: 53 people, including Dai Yaoting, were arrested in the Democratic Party’s primary elections.
Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said that he did not comment on the case of pro-democracy activists and emphasized that the personal freedom and security of the majority of citizens have been restored after the implementation of the National Security Law.
The outside world generally believes that the decision of the National People’s Congress is aimed at reducing the space for democratic parties to participate in elections.
Emily Lau, former chair of the Democratic Party, told the Hong Kong media that the vast majority of Hong Kong citizens would feel that this is a setback in democracy and would wipe out the democratic process in Hong Kong. She believes that the increased size of the Elections Committee and the empowerment of the committee to elect the members of the Legislative Council distort the elections, emphasizing that representatives of the public opinion must be chosen through the general election process.
However, Carrie Lam said that the current problem is not dealing with Democrats, but dealing with people who do not love the country and Hong Kong, undermine Hong Kong’s prosperity, challenge the authority of the central government and collude with foreign forces to sanction the country and Hong Kong.
Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor also said that the establishment also supports democracy and its job is to serve the people. She believes it is time to change the practice of dividing politicians between Democrats and Establishments.
