HONG KONG: Executive Council member Anthony Cheung Bing-leung has labelled a proposed mass resignation by opposition lawmakers unhelpful for the cause of 2012 electoral reform.

Cheung emphasized that the reform should not be an effort in marking time, but should solidify the foundation for the 2017 Chief Executive and the 2020 Legislative Council elections.

Tam Yiu-chung, a member of Legislative Council and the chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, also called on legislators to focus on constitutional development and make suggestions about the government's consultation paper on reform. "The resignation could only strengthen the conflict and put off advancing democracy, rather than help," he said.

The opposition camp has contemplated the resignations as a protest against the government-proposed electoral methods for the elections of the Chief Executive and Legislative Council in 2012. The government last Tuesday unveiled a consultation paper on the electoral arrangements for 2012. Chief Executive Donald Tsang described the plan as "more democratic and progressive" than the one the government put forward in 2005.

Senior government officials all urged that legislators take into full consideration public aspirations and interests. Chief Secretary for Administration Henry Tang appealed to legislators to carefully consider whether the resignation action showed responsibility toward voters.

The chief executive also stated that the government would follow established procedure to hold by-elections in the event the resignation takes place.

The Democratic Party (DP) softened its attitude yesterday.

Martin Lee Chu-ming, former DP chairman, appealed to opposition lawmakers to reconsider the resignation plan, and said it was necessary that the plan be abandoned. DP veteran Szeto Wah also voiced his opposition on a previous occasion. A group of Democratic Party members demonstrated against the resignation yesterday.

One of the members, Mok Siu-lun, said he believed a rational approach should be adopted in the discussions on how to advance democracy. He also said that different ways to strive for democracy should be accommodated. He expressed regret over "the aggressive abuses" by other opposition parties.

(HK Edition 11/26/2009 page1)