HK opposition lawmakers sink reform package
By Joseph Li (China Daily HK Edition)
Updated: 2005-12-22 08:25

Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang said he regrets the voting down of the electoral reform proposals by the 24 opposition legislators.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang briefs the media early December 22, 2005, after opposition lawmakers in Hong Kong voted down a election reform package. [China Daily]

The Hong Kong government has no alternative proposal for the 2007 chief executive (CE) and 2008 Legislative Council (LegCo) elections, he reiterated early Thursday morning. Now, the existing methods have to be used for the two elections, in accordance with the April 2004 decision of the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC).

Now that the political reform matter is over, Tsang will devote more time and efforts on economic issues and people's livelihood. And he won't seek the last resort of dissolving LegCo, even though Article 50 of the Basic Law allows that.

Speaking an hour after the second motion (on the 2008 LegCo election) was voted down, an exhausted Tsang said his wish that democracy could move forward had come to nothing.

"I thought it could be a Christmas gift for the people of Hong Kong," he told a press conference at 1 am this morning. "Rationally, I have to face it. But emotionally, I regret that Hong Kong has missed the opportunity to take a big stride forward in democracy.

"I'm also disappointed that voting down of the package in LegCo today has shattered the people's hope of early implementation of more democratic and open elections," he said.

It's very difficult to work out within a short time a package that's acceptable to a majority of the lawmakers, society as a whole and the central government, he said. So having a second package is out of question.

Just before the press conference, Chief Secretary for Administration Rafael Hui said Democratic Party legislator Martin Lee's and Hong Kong Catholic Diocese Bishop Joseph Zen's wish to bring constitutional development to a standstill had come true.

Asked to comment on the role of Lee and Bishop Zen, Tsang said: "It's clear to the people that we had a good proposal that would have taken us further forward to democracy, but it was stopped by LegCo last night.

"It was the decision of the 24 legislators and that was the most important thing. These 24 people, in my view, played a far more important role than Bishop Zen."

Asked how he would explain the aftermath to the State leaders during his duty visit on December 27, Tsang said President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao knew Hong Kong affairs inside out.

"Maybe they are now watching this live press conference," he said with a bitter smile. "But I will truly tell them what has happened in Hong Kong and give them an objective analysis."