Reform comments are not new, says CY Leung
Recent comments by NPC official Qiao Xiaoyang about electoral reform were merely a reiteration of long-standing principles and general requirements, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said yesterday.
Recent comments by NPC official Qiao Xiaoyang about electoral reform were merely a reiteration of long-standing principles and general requirements, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said yesterday.
They were not a declaration about how universal suffrage should be introduced in Hong Kong.
It is the second time in three days a Hong Kong official has sought to dismiss pan-democrats' concerns over the remarks by Qiao Xiaoyang , chairman of the National People's Congress Law Committee.
Qiao said last month that future chief executives must fulfil the criteria of "love country, love Hong Kong" and "not confronting the central government".
Qiao's comments were taken by critics as a hint that a candidate-screening mechanism would be imposed for the chief executive's poll in 2017.
In an interview with Pastor Enoch Lam Yee-lok that appeared on Christian website Channel J yesterday, Leung suggested Qiao's statements were nothing new.
There is no proposal from the pan-democrats, the administration or the central government yet."What Qiao said recently were principles or concepts that were raised in the past
"There is no proposal from the pan-democrats, the administration or the central government yet," Leung said.
"What Qiao said recently were principles or concepts that were raised in the past.
"Some were discussed in 1988, such as 'loving the nation and loving Hong Kong' as a criterion for [choosing] the chief executive. We have not yet reached the stage of putting proposals forward."
Raymond Tam Chi-yuen, secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs, made similar comments on Wednesday.
