Report says progress towards universal suffrage essential for 'one country, two systems' to work
NG KANG-CHUNGkc.ng@scmp.com
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 22 July, 2015, 3:38am
UPDATED : Wednesday, 22 July, 2015, 3:38am
The UK government has backed pan-democrat calls for the Leung Chun-ying administration to restart electoral reform to achieve universal suffrage. Photo: Reuters
The UK government has backed pan-democrat calls for the Leung Chun-ying administration to restart electoral reform to achieve universal suffrage, saying this is imperative for the "effective functioning of, and confidence in" the "one country, two systems" guaranteed by Beijing.
London's stance is spelled out in its latest six-monthly parliamentary report on Hong Kong, released yesterday, which asks "all sides" to make efforts to rebuild trust and mend divisions.
It also expresses concerns about the worsening relations between the executive and legislature, fearing this could "risk damaging Hong Kong's traditionally strong governance".
The 36-page report details the city's constitutional developments - from explaining the five-step process required by Beijing for Hong Kong to launch political reform, to the walkout farce by pro-government legislators during the Legislative Council vote on the reform plan last month.
In a foreword to the report, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond stresses that "a transition to universal suffrage is the best way to guarantee Hong Kong's stability and prosperity".
"While there is an understandable desire in some quarters to refocus the political agenda away from constitutional reform to livelihood issues, it is improved governance which will help those issues to be addressed effectively in the longer term," he writes. "Constitutional reform will support, rather than detract from, efforts to improve Hong Kong people's livelihoods."
With the defeat of the electoral reform plan, Leung has said his administration has "finished" the work and now will concentrate on addressing economic and livelihood issues.
Democratic Party chairwoman Emily Lau Wai-hing agreed that universal suffrage could help to improve governance and in turn help improve livelihoods. "That has always been our party's position," she said.
On re-establishing communication with the government, she said: "We Democrats are always prepared to talk with the government and Beijing. It is only they who do not like to talk to us."
The UK report says "one country, two systems" has "continued to function well overall" and acknowledges that rule of law in Hong Kong has "stood up well to the challenges". But it highlights concerns about academic freedom, citing the controversy over the appointment of Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun as the University of Hong Kong's pro-vice chancellor.
A Hong Kong government spokesman said: "The [Hongkong] government has been implementing 'one country, two systems' in accordance with the Basic Law. We urge foreign governments and legislatures to refrain from interfering with [Hong Kong's] internal affairs."
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1842576/uk-government-calls-fresh-start-over-hong-kongs-political
