‘End one-party rule’ calls ‘may violate Constitution’
HK’s NPCSC deputy Tam warns those advocating such moves could be barred from elections in city
People who advocate “ending one-party rule” may infringe the revised national Constitution and could be barred from joining elections in Hong Kong, warned Tam Yiu-chung, the city’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee deputy.
In an exclusive interview with China Daily, Tam said he made the comments after taking an objective view of the Constitution. It was up to returning officers to decide whether such people were qualified for elections.
Tam first made these statements in an interview during the NPC annual meeting in Beijing last month. His remarks sparked a storm within the opposition camp, with several people speaking out against him.
During the interview, Tam said he only targeted people who wish to participate in elections — not all Hong Kong people.
Tam said he only made his point in reply to questions raised in the other interview and brushed aside speculation he was “testing the water” for central government authorities.
“At this NPC annual meeting, the Constitution was amended to affirm the leadership of the Communist Party of China.
“The amendment had a bearing on Hong Kong because of the Basic Law, which is a constitutional document and supreme law of Hong Kong, originates from the Constitution,” he noted.
“People who shout the slogan may have the intention of overthrowing the leadership of the CPC. They have been shouting this for many years. Since the revision of the Constitution, it is wrong if they shout this again; it may be a problem for those who wish to run in elections.”
He added that it all depends on returning officers’ calls. “I have not said if they are qualified or unqualified for elections because I do not have the authority to allow or disallow them. It is for the returning officers to handle this,” Tam said.
“It is only my objective descriptions of the fact after the Constitution is amended,” he added.
Respect Constitution
Some people argue that they only swear to uphold the Basic Law and swear allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Tam noted. “Yet they should clearly note the wording of the oath says the ‘Basic Law of the HKSAR of the People’s Republic of China’ and the ‘HKSAR of the PRC’.”
“Moreover, in regard to Hong Kong affairs, President Xi Jinping has made it clear that apart from continuation of the principles of ‘one country, two systems’, Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong and a high degree of autonomy, Hong Kong must be governed in strict accordance with the Constitution and the Basic Law,” Tam said.
Tam praised Chief Secretary for Administration Matthew Cheung Kin-chung for his unequivocal remarks. Cheung told reporters people should respect the Constitution as the foundation of the Basic Law.
Fellow Hong Kong NPC deputy Raymond Tam Chiyuen has suggested principal government officials also swear allegiance to the Constitution; he believes the wording of the oath should be amended accordingly.
Tam Yiu-chung said:“This is a reasonable proposal, knowing that principal officials are appointed by the central government.”
Discussing whether allegiance to the Constitution should be included in oaths for government officials and lawmakers, he said this was up to the government.
LegCo luncheon
Wang Zhimin, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, will attend a luncheon at the Legislative Council on April 23. This is at the invitation of LegCo President Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen.
In Tam Yiu-chung’s opinion, the luncheon is a good opportunity for him to communicate with lawmakers, especially opposition members, in a relaxed atmosphere. He cited a similar arrangement
Tam Yiu-chung,
to host former director Zhang Xiaoming in 2013.
Zhang had made a brief speech before the lunch but what he said was not explosive, Tam recalled. He was seated at the head table with the then LegCo president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing and representatives of political parties.
Zhang had wanted to be host in return but the opposition refused out of fear of it being hijacked by radicals.