Rendering boosts democratic process
China Daily  Updated: 2005-04-28 05:57

The National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) endorsed yesterday the bill of Basic Law interpretation over the tenure of a new chief executive returned in a mid-term election.

The passage of the bill has not only ended the tenure controversy and provided the legal basis for the new CE to be elected on July 10 as scheduled, but also has another significance - preserving the room for Hong Kong's democratic development within the Basic Law framework after 2007.

The interpretation, announced yesterday, only provided that the new CE shall serve out Tung Chee-hwa's remaining term, which runs up to June 30, 2007. The issue that many Hong Kong people are concerned about - how many times the new CE could be re-elected - was not mentioned, however.

The arrangement will be able to address the most pressing issue of the July election on the one hand, and avoid creating obstacles to the change of election methods in 2007 and 2008 on the other. It has served to underline once again the determination and sincerity of the central government to work in strict accordance with the Basic Law.

In his explanation for the interpretation, Li Fei, deputy director of the NPC's Legislative Affairs Commission, said that according to the Basic Law's Annex I and NPC Standing Committee's associated ruling on April 26 last year, the method to select CEs can be altered after 2007 if necessary. Once the method is changed, the tenure of a new CE emerging mid-term ought to be dictated by the amended provisions. Hence, the interpretation this time only deals with the situation before 2007.

Li also pointed out the fact that the SAR is conducting a public consultation on how to modify the third-term CE selection method in 2007. He said the Hong Kong public is full of expectations on the new method to be used in the election of the third-term CE.

When drawing up the Basic Law in the 1980s, the drafters, taking into consideration Hong Kong's history and actual situation as well as the local population's political aspirations, laid down the principle of gradual and orderly progress and the ultimate goal of universal suffrage.

At the same time, since "one country, two systems" is an unprecedented creation that requires continuous review, the Basic Law sets a 10-year limit on this process. It provides that if it is necessary to amend any of the electoral provisions, the new selection method, born after the completion of due legal process, could be used in the election for the third-term CE in 2007.

To that end, the SAR has set up a constitutional development task force and, after broadly based consultation, released four reports on the subject.

At present, the question of whether or not the 2007 CE election method should be changed has already been put on the agenda. If everything goes well, it will move on to the stage of discussion of different proposals and finally legislation. All this shows that the territory's democracy is advancing at a steady pace.

Tung's resignation will not and should not bring uncertainties to Hong Kong's political development in 2007 and beyond. The central government has not been swayed in its open and liberal attitude towards the 2007 election method. Nor has Hongkongers' demand for the gradual development of a democratic system changed.

(China Daily 04/28/2005 page6)

Close