Hong Kong legislators nix plan to further democracy

Pro-Beijing and big business lawmakers voted down a motion calling for full instatement of the democratic process in Hong Kong.

Twenty-one lawmakers approved the motion late Wednesday and 19 opposed.

But it failed because of an unusual arrangement that also requires approval of a majority of votes from lawmakers picked by special interest groups. The vote among those lawmakers was 14 against and just five in favor.

Democratic Party legislator James To (涂謹申) introduced the nonbinding motion, urging direct elections of Hong Kong's leader and all legislative seats.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa (董建華) was chosen by an elite committee of business people and pro-Beijing figures to rule the former British colony after its return to China in 1997.

Legislators chosen by Hong Kong citizens tend to be opposition members and democracy backers. The majority of the Legislative Council, however, is either picked by special interest groups, or by the committee that elected Tung.

Ordinary Hong Kong citizens were allowed to elect lawmakers for just 24 of the 60 legislative seats in the 2000 election.

Some lawmakers abstained during Wednesday's ballot. A similar motion calling for full democracy in Hong Kong was defeated in May.

Demands for political reform have escalated since a massive protest in July brought 500,000 people out against a Beijing-backed national security bill.