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| Wednesday, August 06, 2014 There may not be enough time to reach a consensus on political reform after Beijing releases the framework later this month, local doctors fear.They voiced those fears to Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor when she met with members of the Hong Kong Medical Association yesterday. "We hope the government will have enough time to work out an acceptable proposal after the framework is released by the National People's Congress. We hope the proposal will also gain public support," association president-elect Louis Shih Tai-cho said. Shih said a survey by the association earlier this year found around 70 percent of respondents felt that the universal suffrage framework for the 2017 chief- executive election should be based on Article 45 of the Basic Law and the NPC framework of 2007.
Meanwhile, one of the 13 pro-establishment academics who drew up a list-based mechanism in hopes of aiding a consensus said it would be a "disaster" if there is no change in electoral plans for 2017. Speaking in a radio program yesterday, Chinese University economics professor Sung Yun-wing said it would not be a good system if pan-democrats are expelled through the nominating mechanism. He said the "list" will help a candidate from a moderate party stand for election but that it can be fine-tuned to prevent a rejected candidate from being nominated again, or raise the threshold of nomination. That came as the People's Daily once again condemned Occupy Central as a "political farce." A commentary said the Basic Law clearly stipulates that the nominating committee should suggest chief-executive candidates and that those challenging this are merely "causing trouble." Robert Chow Yung of the anti-Occupy Alliance for Peace and Democracy, organizer of the "Run to Central" on August 17, said: "This is a chance for Hongkongers to do two things at once. Show they support peace and democracy, as well as universal suffrage, and also participate in a good run." HILARY WONG |
August 06, 2014
Doctors fear time running out for reform
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=4&art_id=148080&sid=42753994&con_type=1&d_str=20140806&fc=4
