Public Consulted on 2012 Elections Blueprint
The Hong Kong government has started a three-month public consultation on the method of selecting the Chief Executive and for forming the Legislative Council (LegCo) in 2012.
Unveiling the consultation paper at the Legislative Council on November 18, Hong Kong Chief Secretary for Administration Henry Tang said the 2012 electoral arrangements must comply with the decision of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and be consistent with the Basic Law.
It should also respond to community aspirations on constitutional development and enhance the democratic elements of the elections, and have the possibility of being accepted by the majority of the public, lawmakers, the Chief Executive and the Central Authorities.
The document sets out a number of key issues with regard to the 2012 elections:
* To enlarge the scope of political participation through an expansion of the Election Committee for electing the Chief Executive and by increasing the number of seats in the LegCo.
* To increase the democratic elements within Hong Kong’s political system, it is proposed that all District Council seats in the Election Committee and LegCo be elected from among elected DC members.
* Heeding the community’s wishes to foster a consensus within the community, it is also proposed maintaining the current nomination threshold for the Chief Executive election and LegCo and not expand the traditional Functional Constituencies in the LegCo.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang said, “My administration is determined in advancing Hong Kong’s democratic development in 2012, paving the way for universal suffrage elections of the Chief Executive in 2017 and the entire Legislature in 2020.
“We are doing so with the greatest sincerity. Our job is to broaden the scope of political participation and increase substantially the democratic elements in the 2012 elections in accordance with the Basic Law and the decision of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples’ Congress in December 2007.”
Mr. Tsang added: “Constitutional development is an important issue for us all. The key to success lies in listening and seeking common grounds. I have never underestimated the difficulty of this exercise. But I know there is one single aspiration that we all espouse, and that is Hong Kong’s political system should move forward.”
The consultation document can be downloaded from the Web site www.cmab-cd2012.gov.hk
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