Back on the right track

The public consultation arrangements for the Chief Executive (CE) election in 2017 and Legislative Council election in 2016 (simplified as two elections) is starting. The initial stage will concentrate on issues relating to the Basic Law and relative stipulations by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC), trying to reach a consensus in the community for designing two elections’ methods and, in particular, a CE universal suffrage scheme.

The opposition camp has already launched the “Occupy Central” campaign while putting forward a variety of proposals seeking so-called real universal suffrage. Their opinions, proposals and actions all seriously violate the Basic Law and the relative stipulations by the NPCSC. To this extent, the first stage of the public consultation is intended to put Hong Kong’s constitutional development back on the right track.

To reach the destination of universal suffrage, two major things are necessary.

First, any proposals for a CE election by oneperson, one-vote should strictly and accurately embody the “One Country, Two Systems” principle. Hong Kong is not an independent political entity. Article 1 of the Basic Law clearly stipulates: “The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China.” But, the city’s opposition camp wants to separate China from PRC, by falsely expressing they love China rather than the PRC. Since the large public demonstrations of July 1, 2003, the opposition has repeatedly sought so-called genuine “Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong”. It’s their way of making the SAR an independent political entity.

However, not only the opposition camp as a whole, but also some Hongkongers belonging to the “Love the Nation, Love HK” camp have advocated

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one hand, we will try our best to make the public consultation achievable. On the other hand, we prepare for a lasting struggle against the opposition in order to realize universal suffrage on the basis of the Basic Law and relevant decisions by the NPCSC.”

proposals for universal suffrage only suitable for an independent nation. Recently, the head of a local think tank close to the patriotic camp proposed forming a “united government” including all political organizations in the territory via a so-called “negotiated transition”. The proposal is based on the experience of the so-called the third wave of global democratization in the late 20th century. It may be relevant to a sovereign state at present, but definitely not a SAR within a country.

Here in Hong Kong, an irreconcilable contradiction between the opposition and the “Love Nation, Love HK” camp is developing. The opposition is trying to introduce the Western political model into the SAR; and eventually, they want to westernize the nation’s political system. Although it is just a dream that will never eventuate, trying to realize it is already a significant breach of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle.

Therefore, the second major aspect of being on the right track is when universal suffrage is realized, the CE’s two accountabilities — as Article 43 of the Basic Law stipulates that the CE should be accountable to the central government and the HKSAR — should be in concert.

According to Article 44 of the Basic Law, a Chinese citizen of not less than 40 years who is a permanent resident in Hong Kong with no right of abode in any foreign country and has resided in the city for a continuous period of not less than 20 years is qualified to run for CE. Based on current political status, if CE candidates are nominated by public nomination, it is highly possible that an opposition’s candidate may win. If it happened, the CE’s two accountabilities would be in conflict and the SAR would have problems.

Someone also designed a so-called “guarding the back door” scheme. This is to let opposition representatives have a chance to win by “genuine universal suffrage” and the central government to exercise its constitutional power in refusing to appoint the winner. The SAR will then have to hold a second election to choose another person … until the central government accepts the result.

However, such a political farce will drag Hong Kong into a major political crisis. As a small city with only 7 million people, the city cannot afford to suffer a serious political calamity. Political reform in Hong Kong has one and only objective: To maintain the city’s prosperity and stability while upholding national unity and territorial integrity. Any proposals or schemes for universal suffrage should obey the Basic Law and the relative stipulations by the NPCSC. Only by returning to the right track, will constitutional development aimed at universal suffrage succeed.

It’s a daunting task. Many Hongkongers may not be able to see through the opposition’s disguise until they experience the terrible fallout of “Occupy Central”. On one hand, we will try our best to make the public consultation achievable. On the other hand, we prepare for a lasting struggle against the opposition in order to realize universal suffrage on the basis of the Basic Law and relevant decisions by the NPCSC.