Democrats seek deal for support of reforms
The Democratic Party is likely to back the government proposal for the 2012 elections if Beijing allows the public to elect district council sector lawmakers.
A core party member said it would be sufficient if Beijing made 'some sort of more detailed elaboration' on its intention to introduce genuine universal suffrage in 2017 and 2020.
'If people don't trust Beijing, no matter what sort of assurances it gives people will still not trust it,' the Democrat said.
The Democratic Party proposes increasing the number of Legco seats from the present 60 to 70 in 2012, with six seats for district councils that would be nominated by district councillors and elected by all registered voters.
The Alliance for Universal Suffrage, a coalition formed by 13 moderate pan-democratic groups, suggests increasing the number of seats from 60 to 80, with 11 seats for district council functional constituencies.
'Our counter-proposal for district council functional constituency seats is upfront cash if Beijing agrees. There is no reason why we should not pocket it first,' the Democrat said.
He said the party had the impression from recent contacts with Beijing's middlemen before the party's meeting with Li Gang, deputy director of the central government's liaison office in Hong Kong, last Monday, that the central government was considering such a proposal.
The Democrat said there was a '20 per cent chance' Beijing would buy it when the government tabled the resolution for a Legco vote later next month.
Elsie Leung Oi-sie, vice-chairwoman of the Basic Law Committee and former justice minister, said last week that the proposal for the public to elect six seats designated for district councils would 'upset the 50-50 balance' between directly and indirectly elected seats.
She warned that if the government bowed to pressure from lawmakers threatening to veto its political reform package unless the proposal was included, there was a real possibility the package could be vetoed by the national legislature, which would trigger a constitutional crisis.
Li said last week there could be doubts over whether the proposal was in line with the decision of the National People's Congress Standing Committee in 2007.
'The reason why Li Gang and Beijing-friendly politicians have been criticising our proposal was just because the top Beijing leaders have yet to make a final decision,' the core member of the Democratic Party said.
A pan-democrat said Li and Leung had only reiterated Beijing's existing position and there was still room for amendments.
The party will hold its special meeting on June 21 to decide whether to back the government proposal - two days before the proposal is expected to be put to a vote in Legco.
The Democrat expected Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen to make last-minute concessions before his televised debate with Civic Party leader Audrey Eu Yuet-mee which is scheduled for June 17.
Alliance member Chan Kin-man expected Hong Kong officials, such as Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Stephen Lam Sui-lung, to respond this week to their demands regarding the 2012 elections.
He believed the central and Hong Kong governments would take a two-step approach if there was progress in negotiation with pan-democrats. 'Beijing is likely to make a statement giving assurances on election of universal suffrage and the legislature in 2017 and 2020 if pan-democrats agree to back the proposal for the 2012 elections,' he said.
