Keep pushing for universal suffrage, Anson Chan urges
Anson Chan Fang On-sang yesterday again urged the government to actively push for universal suffrage, saying economic and democratic development are not in conflict.
The former chief secretary's remarks came a day after Jia Qinglin , chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said economic growth was a fundamental solution to Hong Kong's problems and challenges. He also urged Hong Kong people to put aside their differences and seek common ground.
Mrs Chan agreed people should set aside differences and work together to achieve universal suffrage.
'I believe the crux of the problem is how to reach a consensus on the timetable to achieve the goal [of universal suffrage],' she said.
Speaking on RTHK's Civil Society programme, Mrs Chan said Hongkongers' aspirations for universal suffrage remained unchanged, despite economic changes.
'In the minds of Hong Kong people, economic benefits cannot replace a democratic constitution,' Mrs Chan said on her third three-minute blog message this week.
'Chairman Jia Qinglin said economic development provides a direction to solve society's deep-rooted problems. That means the central government insists on developing the economy, but not pursing a democratic constitution.'
Mrs Chan said the Basic Law had given the government room to introduce democratic political reforms, even though Beijing's 2004 interpretation of the mini-constitution denied universal suffrage for the chief executive and Legislative Council in 2007 and 2008 respectively.
'The SAR government has a responsibility to take a proactive approach in moving towards universal suffrage,' Mrs Chan said.
She said in the blog that a middle-aged taxi driver asked her the day before whether his child would live to see universal suffrage.
'I replied: 'As long as we are united ... I believe democracy and universal suffrage can be achieved. Hong Kong people will become the real administrators'.'
Mrs Chan said the central government did not oppose democracy in Hong Kong, but the voices of ordinary people could not be heard in Beijing.
'As a result, the central government only heard superficial claims that said democracy was not beneficial to the economy, or politicians were fighting for universal suffrage for their own interests.'
Speaking at a separate event later, Mrs Chan said Beijing should consider different channels of communication to hear directly from the Hong Kong people.
'They have different channels, from the business sector and academics, but normal people's voices are not heard nearly enough,' she said.
