Referendum on universal suffrage seen as threat to the nation
Beijing's top man in Hong Kong has denounced pro-democracy lawmakers' push for a referendum on universal suffrage, saying it was a 'challenge to the country's political and constitutional system'.
Gao Siren, director of the central government's liaison office, warned yesterday that any attempt at a referendum - no matter how it was carried out or packaged - breached the Basic Law.
Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa also weighed into the controversy, criticising the proposed referendum as 'inappropriate, inconsistent with established legal procedures, impractical and misleading to the public'.
Mr Tung also warned that a referendum would seriously undermine the 'cordial relationship' with central authorities.
Their warnings - which attracted heavy criticism from the pro-democracy camp - came ahead of a meeting of the Legislative Council's constitutional affairs panel that was to have voted on a motion calling on the government to conduct a non-binding referendum on universal suffrage in 2007 and 2008.
But after two hours of heated exchanges among rival camps on the motion, proposed by Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung, the vote was adjourned to the next meeting.
Mr Gao told Xinhua the 'so-called referendum motion' was inconsistent with the legal status of the Hong Kong special administrative region stipulated by the Basic Law. It also ran against the procedure for amending the electoral methods for selecting the chief executive and Legco and against the decision by the National People's Congress Standing Committee ruling out full democracy in 2007-08.
'It is a challenge to the country's constitutional and political system. We express grave concern over it,' Mr Gao said.
'Any attempt to conduct a so-called referendum in the Hong Kong special administrative region, no matter in what form, or how it is packaged, it would run against the Basic Law.'
Mr Tung said the NPC Standing Committee, had made its decision 'strictly in accordance with legal procedures after consulting various sectors in Hong Kong'.
'The NPC Standing Committee is the highest organ of state power. The HKSAR must abide by and implement this decision,' he said.
'Proposing a referendum will seriously undermine harmony in the community and will affect the cordial relationship between the central authorities and the HKSAR.
'Moreover, it will not help promote the healthy development of democracy in Hong Kong. The SAR government will also oppose any move, including a referendum, which departs from the Basic Law and the [Standing Committee's] decision in dealing with the electoral methods in 2007 and 2008.'
Dr Cheung insisted that the pro-democracy camp would push ahead with its plan for a community-level referendum if the motion calling on the government to conduct a referendum was defeated.
He also accused Mr Gao of misleading the public by saying the democrats were trying to conduct a 'legally binding referendum' to overturn Beijing's April decision.
