Poll 'screening' sparks guerilla protest threat
Lawmaker reacts to Beijing liaison office's hint that 2017 chief executive election candidates may be screened with threat of citizens' action
People Power legislator Albert Chan Wai-yip says he plans to launch a disruptive "urban guerrilla" campaign before the end of the year to press for democracy.
Chan said he expected 2,000 people to participate in a string of unannounced protests in what he termed a non-co-operation plan, starting by the end of the year.
"The scale will be smaller than that of the Occupy Central campaign, but we will be organised," he said.
During his unprecedented lunch with legislators on Tuesday central government liaison office director Zhang Xiaoming used a sieve presented to him by one lawmaker as a metaphor to show the advantages of a screening mechanism in the selection process.
Chan, who handed Zhang a book entitled , said Hong Kong people must take a stand to let Beijing know about their pursuit of genuine democracy.
"There are many extraordinary ways to protest that the police cannot stop because they are lawful activities," he said.
"A strike would be the most effective, but other tactics could also work. For example, half of Central could be paralysed if 10 vehicles broke down at the same time," he said, describing his tactics as a form of "urban guerrilla warfare".
A strike would be the most effective, but other tactics could also work. For example, half of Central could be paralysed if 10 vehicles broke down at the same time
Chan said the metaphor with the sieve - which Zhang said was useful to "sift fine grains from coarse grains" - was a very strong message and that his party would not attend any meetings with the liaison office unless it was by open invitation.
Benny Tai Yiu-ting, a core organiser of the Occupy Central campaign, said he was not worried about whether People Power's plans might affect the image of his civil disobedience campaign.
He also insisted that a screening mechanism would not be in line with internationally accepted standards of democracy.
"If there is a screening process in the end, there is no other way round," he said. "I will see you in Central."
Other pro-democracy parties expressed caution about Zhang's remarks.
Democratic Party chairwoman Emily Lai Wai-hing said Zhang's message was "not mild" but that it was "the beginning of a dialogue".
"In more than 20 years, it is the first time an official from the liaison office has come to the Legislative Council," she said.
"I hope he can help to reflect Hong Kong people's demands to the central government, and promise not to intervene with the city's affairs."
