New | Don’t be constrained over electoral reform, Anson Chan urges Hongkongers
Former chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang said on Tuesday that the political reform platform she leads, Hong Kong 2020, will deliver their electoral reform proposal in three months’ time and that it would fully comply with the requirements of the Basic Law.
Former chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang will deliver her electoral reform proposal in three months’ time.
After an interview with NOW TV on Tuesday morning, she revealed that Hong Kong 2020, a political reform platform she leads, will table its proposal which would fully comply with the Basic Law.
While the government has kick-started the first stage of the reform consultation that Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor pledged to remain open, Chan lamented the consultation document for having set a framework.
It was surprising that the document was quoting various utterances of Beijing officials as if they are the law. I urge Hong Kong people not to be constrained
“It was surprising that the document was quoting various utterances of Beijing officials as if they are the law,” said Chan. “I urge Hong Kong people not to be constrained.”
She would not reveal if the proposal by Hong Kong 2020 - “which was yet to reach a consensus” among members - would grant voters the right to nominate chief executive candidates.
“But it is not a question of bidding top high. We are just asking Beijing to deliver the promise they have made,” said Chan, referring to the universal suffrage for chief executive in 2017 and for the Legislative Council in 2020.
As some have proposed to let the future nominating committee adopt block voting to select chief executive candidates, Chan said that amounts to screening. Block voting is where the number of choices made by voters is equivalent to the total number of seats available in block voting.
“Not many Hongkongers know what block voting is,” said the former chief secretary. “The National People’s Congress uses this method to elect Hong Kong deputies - for four elections not a single pan-democrat made it to the NPC.
“That amounts to screening.”
She also said she had found two ideal chief executive candidates.
“I will encourage those I feel qualified and capable to run the race,” said Chan.
