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SCMP Reporter

The Democrats have been told to uphold the Chinese constitution if they want to win votes in next month's election for the National People's Congress.

'If the candidates don't behave as models in abiding, recognising and implementing the Chinese constitution, I believe members of the election panel will not vote for them to represent Hong Kong,' Lee Cho-chak, spokesman for the committee in charge of the poll, said yesterday.

The Democrats' 10-point election platform calls for a reversal of the verdict on the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and an end to one-party rule on the mainland.

But James To Kun-sun, a Democratic Party legislator who intends to run for election, said he disagreed that the party's demands amounted to a failure to uphold the Chinese constitution.

'As a member of the chairman's committee to decide on the election rules, Mr Lee should also be fair in making his comments,' he said.

The 953-member NPC election panel met for the first time yesterday. Mr Lee made his remarks after being asked about the Democrats' chances in the poll.

Three Democrats -  Mr To, Sin Chung-kai and Albert Ho Chun-yan - are standing for election. Former Democrat vice-chairman Anthony Cheung Bing-leung will run in a personal capacity.

Chan Wing-kee, an NPC local deputy and a member of the election panel, said he would not nominate Democrat candidates.

'As an NPC local deputy, I would like to choose someone who can communicate with the central government. The pro-democracy camp has problems communicating with the central government,' he said.

He Chunlin, secretary-general of the NPC Standing Committee, who chaired the meeting, said the deputies should uphold 'one country, two systems', the Chinese constitution and the Basic law.

The 759 members of the panel at the meeting approved the 15 members of the chairman's committee, nominated by the NPC Standing Committee, by a vote of 744 to one. Fourteen abstained.

The 15 members of the committee included Leung Chun-ying and property tycoon Li Ka-shing. The committee members elected Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa as chairman.

Mr Lee said this did not create a conflict of interest for Mr Tung as he was obliged to ensure a successful election. He also dismissed criticisms of the NPC poll being a 'small-circle election', saying the number of voters had increased from around 400 in 1996 to 953 this year.

Democrat Albert Chan Wai-yip voted against the 15 members forming the committee. Those who abstained included Bar Association chairman Alan Leong Kah-kit, SC, and some pro-democracy legislators.

Mr Leong said: 'I abstained because I have not been involved in the nomination process of the chairman's committee.'

Former Bar Association chairman Ronnie Tong Ka-wah, however, voted for the members. 'I opposed the election method but not the members. It would be destructive to vote against.'

Mr To said he abstained because he opposed the election method. He did not object to the membership but found it lacked liberal voices.

Brian Kan Ping-chee, a member of the election panel, also abstained because he believes the membership of the chairman's committee should be nominated by the voters not the NPC Standing Committee.

Tsang Hin-chi, a member of the Standing Committee, said people should understand that the election culture of Hong Kong and China was different. 'The list of membership is worked out by consultation. It is reasonable, legal and fair,' he said.

The nomination period for candidates will start on November 4 and end on November 18.



Warning to Democrats on NPC vote