Organisers to call for universal pension and Leung Chun-ying’s resignation
JEFFIE.LAM@SCMP.COM
PUBLISHED : Monday, 28 December, 2015, 9:44am
UPDATED : Monday, 28 December, 2015, 9:44am
League of Social Democrats' Raphael Wong (right) attending a protest against the government in July. Photo: David Wong
Thousands of Hongkongers are expected to take part in the annual New Year’s Day march this Friday, as organisers vow to fight for a universal pension scheme for the elderly and halt the construction of what they describe as the city’s ‘white elephant’ projects.
Unlike the previous marches which were led by the Civil Human Rights Front – an umbrella group organising the annual July 1 pro-democracy procession – this year’s New Year’s Day march was initiated by some 30 civil rights groups and without major pan-democratic parties’ backing.
The march’s spokesman, Raphael Wong Ho-ming of the League of Social Democrats, denied there was a split within the camp.
“We respect the other groups’ decision to not join the march,” Wong said, adding that a number of organising groups were members of the front.
The planned demonstration came after the government launched a long-awaited consultation over the city’s pension schemes. The administration appeared to oppose an option covering all retirees despite civil rights groups’ decade-long advocacy.
While officials suggested the universal option was not financially sustainable, the march organisers argued that ‘white elephant’ projects such as the Hong Kong-mainland express rail link and Guangzhou-Zhuhai-Macau bridge, both hit by cost overruns and delays, had destabilised the city’s public finances and should be halted.
READ MORE: Six things you need to know about Hong Kong’s proposed retirement protection scheme
“Hongkongers are not [chief executive] Leung Chun-ying’s automated teller machines,” said Wong. “Leung asked us for money [for the infrastructure], but when we asked him for money to take care of the elderly, children and the disabled, he said he had none. That’s shameful.”
The march was to include a call for Leung, accused by organisers of failing to implement his election manifesto, to step down.
Meanwhile, another march spokesman, retired teacher James Hon Lin-shan, said thousands of protesters were expected to join the march at 3pm on January 1. The event was to kick off in Causeway Bay and end at government headquarters in Admiralty.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1895454/new-years-day-protest-march-focus-hongkongers-retirement
