Put political reform debate aside if Legco rejects proposal, CY Leung urges Hong Kong
Chief executive says if his blueprint is blocked the city cannot go on with 'endless arguments'
The debate on political reform should be set aside for a few years if the government's blueprint for electing the chief executive in 2017 is voted down as Hong Kong can no longer afford to waste time on endless wrangling, Leung Chun-ying said yesterday.
The controversial remark by the chief executive was blasted by pan-democrats, who feared it was a hint the next administration would not reinitiate work on electoral reform and that Leung was not interested in implementing "genuine universal suffrage".
Leung said the issue of electoral reform had cost Beijing, the Hong Kong government and political parties an enormous amount of time.
"Should the proposal be blocked, I hope Hong Kong will put aside the reform debate as the city cannot afford endless arguments on it," Leung said at a question-and-answer session in the Legislative Council, adding it was time for Hong Kong to "chase back the time" for developing the economy and livelihoods.
Some 20 pan-democrat lawmakers, who have pledged to vote down the government's proposal for political reform, placed paper cut-outs of deer at the front of the chamber as they protested ahead of the meeting, saying Leung should stop "calling a deer a horse" by insisting on introducing "sham universal suffrage".
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Speaking three days ahead of last-ditch talks on the reform package between lawmakers and central government officials in Shenzhen, Leung also poured scorn on the call from pan-democrats for Beijing's framework on reform to be scrapped.
"I think there's zero chance of that happening," Leung said, referring to the guidelines laid down by Beijing that stipulate only two or three candidates who secure majority support from a 1,200-strong nominating committee can run for the top job.
All 27 pan-democrat lawmakers have pledged to vote against the reform plan come next month's Legco vote, meaning it would not pass.
Leung challenged pan-democrats to commission their own poll on support for the government's reform package, asking: "Who should shoulder the biggest responsibility if reform fails?"
Labour Party leader Lee Cheuk-yan said Leung was being irresponsible and insincere in promoting democratic progress.
"As a responsible chief executive, Leung should resign if the plan is voted down," Lee said, adding it was up to Beijing, not Leung, to decide whether a new round of reform efforts should be initiated. The veteran trade unionist was expelled from the chamber for shouting slogans against the chief executive.
The four-hour talks in Shenzhen this Sunday will be chaired by Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and divided into two sessions, with the last two hours reserved exclusively for the 15 pan-democratic representatives to exchange views with central government officials.
Lawmakers have been invited to meet the director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, Wang Guangya , Basic Law Committee chairman Li Fei, and director of Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong, Zhang Xiaoming .