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HK tries to lure opposition with amendments

The Hong Kong government announced yesterday it will make changes boosting the proportion of elected representatives on a panel that chooses the territory's leader as part of a reform proposal backed by Beijing but denounced by protesters.

But the amended proposal drew fire from opposition lawmakers, who threatened to veto the package during a vote tomorrow because they said it falls far short of demands for universal suffrage.

"It's just window-dressing and meaningless," pro-democracy Legislator Ronny Tong (湯家驊) said. The government "doesn't demonstrate any sincerity in responding to the call of the people of Hong Kong for a timetable" for democracy.

Earlier, the Hong Kong government proposed doubling the size of the territory's 800-member leader selection committee and expanding the legislature. The plan entails adding 529 city councilors to the leader selection panel and adding five legislative seats for the councilors.

But tens of thousands of people marched two weeks ago, saying that the reforms did not go far enough, prompting Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang (曾蔭權) to agree to making some changes to the proposal.

One point of contention was the number of appointed city councilors. Currently, 102 district councilors are appointed. But Hong Kong's political opposition have called for abolishing such seats, saying they were undemocratic.

Yesterday, Chief Secretary for Administration Rafael Hui (許仕仁) proposed that the number of appointed district councilors be cut by one-third to 68 in 2008. He said that the appointees can be eliminated as early as 2012 if there is a consensus.

That means the proposed makeup of the panel that chooses Hong Kong's next leader in 2007 won't be affected, but later committees will have fewer appointees.

"These adjustments are the most that the government can do," Hui told a news conference.

Tsang urged lawmakers to accept the proposal, arguing that polls have shown that many citizens think a democratic timetable should be dealt with separately.

"The marches have taken place. The slogans have been chanted. Now the public wants to see solid progress in democratic development. The public wants its electoral representatives to help democracy take root and flourish," Tsang said.

But pro-democracy lawmakers, who want full democracy by 2012, said the proposal was too limited.

"We are very disappointed," said Lee Wing-tat (李永達), leader of Hong Kong's biggest opposition party. "We have no choice but to vote against the package."
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