MAC calls for full democracy in HK

Hong Kong should have a popularly elected leader to help pave the way for democracy in communist China, Mainland Council Affairs Chairman Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said yesterday.

Wu made the remarks at a forum hosted by the Friends of Hong Kong and Macau Association. The event was held to discuss Hong Kong's upcoming chief executive election next Sunday and to analyze its impact on Hong Kong's democracy.

Wu told the forum that the latest poll in Hong Kong showed that about 70 percent of those surveyed hoped that universal suffrage will be implemented before 2012.

"We've seen some encouraging progress in the leadership race, and we highly admire and support the pro-democracy movement's unwavering resolve," Wu said. "But we regret it is still a birdcage democracy, because Hong Kong residents still don't have the prerogative to pick their own chief executive,'' he said.

Wu urged Beijing to implement universal suffrage in Hong Kong, adding that the Chinese government does not have to fear the advantages of democracy.

Hong Kong will hold its third election for the chief executive next Sunday.

For the first time, in addition to Beijing-preferred, current Chief Executive Donald Tsang (曾蔭權), pro-democracy challenger, barrister and lawmaker Alan Leong (梁家傑) is also a candidate.

Last December, Leong obtained 132 votes on the 800-member election panel that enabled him to be put on the ballot.

Tsang and Leong just had their second televised debate on campaign issues on Friday, creating high audience ratings.

Since Hong Kong's handover to China in 1997, Hong Kong's leaders have been selected by the 800-member Election Committee that is loyal to Hong Kong's political overlords in Beijing.

Tam Chi-keung (譚志強), Hong Kong-based commentator on cross-strait relations, told the forum that although Tsang is seen as a shoo-in, the campaigns launched by the two candidates have educated people about problems that only universal suffrage can solve.

"It is a history-making step for Hong Kong over the past 160 years. Many people, including Beijing, never expected that Hong Kong democrats could break thorough the threshold of 100 votes in the election committee and successfully nominate another candidate to compete with Tsang," he said.

But Tam is pessimistic about how far and how effective this election will be in getting Beijing to loosen its control over Hong Kong's democratization.

Richard Tsoi (蔡耀昌), councilor of Hong Kong's Sha Tin District Council and a pro-democracy member, admitted democratization would be resisted by Beijing.

But Tsoi -- one of the key organizers of the massive march held in July 2003 in protest of China's Basic Law -- stressed that Hong Kong should be optimistic.

"Although it is hard to call this race an democratic election since the number of people who can vote is quite few compared to the total population of Hong Kong, Leong's candidacy indicates that competition will promote democracy," he said.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AP