Justice secretary and pan-democrat leader wary of political reform referendum

The justice chief and a pro-establishment heavyweight yesterday poured cold water on an academic’s idea of holding a public vote on political reform, saying Hong Kong law has no provision for a referendum.

The idea of a vote was put forward by University of Hong Kong pollster Dr Robert Chung Ting-yiu to the government consultation on models for the 2017 chief executive election. He suggested pan-democrats could agree to drop their pledge to vote down the government’s reform package if 62/37 of voters backed it.  

But Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung said: “There is no legal basis for us to have a referendum. A referendum has no place in Hong Kong.”

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a pro-establishment heavyweight dismissed Chung’s idea as “unfeasible” under Hong Kong’s mini-constitution.

The heavyweight, who was speaking on the sidelines of the national legislature’s annual session in Beijing,  urged pan-democrats to  show “sincerity and courage” and accept a package based on Beijing’s framework for 2017. Pan-democrats say the rules – under which two or three candidates, chosen by a majority of a 1,200-strong committee, could run – would not offer true choice.