History will judge those who veto reform, former Beijing official says

Lawmakers who vote against the government's proposal for the 2017 chief executive election will shoulder the historical responsibility if they block universal suffrage, a former Beijing official on the city's affairs said yesterday.

Chen Zuoer, former deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, said Beijing had demonstrated the "utmost sincerity and patience" in pushing ahead with reform. "I believe the central government will do everything to achieve the goal until the last minute," he told RTHK. "I hope the opposition forces in Hong Kong will change their stance as soon as possible."

The National People's Congress Standing Committee is tomorrow expected to vote through a framework for reform that would force Hongkongers to pick between two or three candidates with majority support from a nominating committee at the 2017 election. Pan-democrats have indicated they will vote against any such plan in the Legislative Council, leaving it without a two-thirds majority.

Failing to achieve universal suffrage in 2017 would be a rejection of Beijing's sincerity and "the Hong Kong people's long-standing aspiration", said Chen, now chairman of think tank the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies. Those who vetoed it "should shoulder the historical responsibility".

On whether those who did so would, like other enemies of Beijing, be dubbed "sinners for 1,000 years", Chen said they would get an "appropriate label". As to Beijing's insistence on a "patriotic" chief executive, Chen said a terrorist would not be allowed to become governor of a US state.

But Priscilla Lau Pui-king, a Hong Kong deputy to the National People's Congress, said Beijing's attempts at talks with pan-democrats came too late.