Don't insist on 2012, warns chief
Universal suffrage demands won't win public's respect, Tsang says
Chanting slogans demanding universal suffrage by 2012 without regard to the means of achieving it shows an outdated attitude and will not win the public's respect, the chief executive warned pan-democrats yesterday.
Donald Tsang Yam-kuen said the subject of political reform had tortured society for two decades, and it was time it was brought to a full stop.
'I deeply believe there is a need to put a stop to it,' he said. 'I believe this is a historic responsibility given me by society. Of course I will not shirk the responsibility or delay.'
Mr Tsang explained what he meant by a final solution. 'It would mean putting forward designs, road maps, and timetables, including the 2012 timetable,' he said in his first question-and-answer session in the Legislative Council since his election to a second, five-year term.
But he remained vague about how a proposal for universal suffrage put forward by 22 pan-democrats would be included among the options listed in an green paper the government will issue in mid-year to seek the public's views about the way forward.
The pan-democrats propose that in 2012, the 400 elected district councillors be added to the 800-member Election Committee; that a candidate needs 50 nominations to run for chief executive in a one-person, one-vote poll; and that half the 60 legislators are elected directly in single-seat constituencies and the other half by proportional representation.
Mr Tsang said there were many other, equally credible proposals.
Pressed on whether the proposal would be one of the three, he said: 'I have not yet decided what to do ... The figure of three is a number which would make things easier to handle - all three proposals would achieve universal suffrage in different ways.'
Democrat James To Kun-sun asked Mr Tsang whether he would promise to achieve election by universal suffrage for the chief executive and legislature by 2012.
'Talking solely about the year is outdated and is not respected by the public,' Mr Tsang said.
He repeated his pledge to try to come up with a proposal acceptable to the majority of the people and able to win the support of two-thirds of legislators, as the Basic Law requires.
Some of the 22 pan-democrats felt Mr Tsang had been disrespectful of their proposal. Ronny Tong Ka-wah, of the Civic Party, said it was by far the most representative. 'Mr Tsang has never been that sincere when he says he supports our package. He says he will definitely include it in the green paper, but will citizens really be able to choose our package as a preferred option?'
