NPCSC member says she does not intend to vote in by-election

HONG KONG: It is dangerous for the Civic Party and the League of Social Democrats to use such offensive words as "referendum" and "uprising" as their by-election slogans because they may mislead citizens and cause them to believe a referendum is a right thing to conduct in Hong Kong, says Rita Fan, a member of the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC).

There is no constitutional or legal basis to carry out referendums in Hong Kong, as a special administrative region of China, she noted.

Fan also said that although she is a registered voter, she does not intend to vote in the by-elections.

"Why should I take part in the by-election which is being turned into a farce, with (the two parties) being the script writer, producer and actors of such melodrama?" she said.

As to the fresh question of the definition of the phrase "all members of the Legislative Council (LegCo)", Fan, who was former LegCo President, was inclined to favor 60 as the full chamber rather than to reduce the number to account for the departed members.

Five lawmakers from the two opposition parties resigned last month, hoping to declare the vote in the ensuing by-elections as a "referendum" on the question of moving ahead the timetable set by the NPCSC for universal suffrage in Hong Kong.

In responding, the Hong Kong government made it clear that it would not recognize the vote as anything other than a by-election but that it would run the by-elections in accordance with the law.

Speaking to China Daily in an exclusive interview, Fan said "referendum" in the way it has been promoted implies an intention to seek independence while "uprising" is associated with revolution. Even though it may not be a bloody revolution, the inflammatory rhetoric will create unrest, instability and disturb the peace of the city, she said.

"We are not shooting a movie or writing a novel," she said.

"It is a highly risky movement and people who vote in their favor indirectly support their stance. In case the voter turnout rate is high, it will give rise to interpretations that Hong Kong is resistant to 'One Country, Two Systems' as well as to accepting that it is a part of China and that will be very unfortunate," she said.

Talking about the strongly-worded January 15 statement of the State Council's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, she inferred that the Central Government wanted to let the people of Hong Kong know in no uncertain terms that the referendum mechanism does not exist in Hong Kong.

In the past, the people of Hong Kong supported the underdogs in elections in the hope of achieving a balance, but she predicted it would be different this time.

After the Central and SAR authorities have cleared up the confusion, the local people know now "referendum" is a "prohibited area" that leads Hong Kong nowhere, she said.

Although the SAR government has a legal duty to run the by-elections, it does not necessarily have to launch publicity campaigns to encourage people to vote, Fan said. In her opinion, as little as possible should be spent, in order to save taxpayers' money.

It is not a by-election resulting from necessity but from political reasons, she said, and the by-election is misrepresented as a "referendum" by the resigned lawmakers.

(HK Edition 02/09/2010 page1)