Hong Kong: Chief Executive Welcomes Beijing Election Law
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam welcomes China's electoral reform project.
Peter PARKS AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
The head of the Hong Kong executive, Carrie Lam, welcomed this Monday, March 8, the electoral reform project wanted by Beijing, aimed at ensuring that only “patriots” can govern, and rejected the critics who see it as a purge of the 'opposition.
Carrie Lam has also excluded any consultation of the population on these changes decided by China.
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This bill, which provides in particular for a
veto
of the authorities vis-à-vis the candidates in the elections, is being discussed in the National People's Assembly (PNA, Chinese Parliament) and should be approved on Thursday.
Beijing has let it be known that it intends to ensure that only "
patriots
" can rule the financial metropolis.
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: Hong Kong: Beijing is working on a reform to better control the candidates for the elections
For its detractors, this reform sounds the death knell for the democratic electoral system, admittedly already limited, and will destroy any pro-democracy opposition in favor of pro-Beijing candidates.
The Beijing-appointed Hong Kong chief executive dismissed the criticism, saying "
improvements to the electoral system are not designed to favor someone but to make everyone who runs Hong Kong a patriot
."
"
The decision is timely, necessary, legal, constitutional,
" she hammered during a press briefing organized on her return from Beijing.
According to her, "the
leadership and decision-making power of central authorities should not be called into question
".
Constant erosion of freedoms
During the handover of the former British colony in 1997, Beijing had guaranteed Hong Kong a certain autonomy and freedoms unknown in mainland China until 2047. The city has a local parliament, partly elected by universal suffrage.
In recent years, many voices have been raised to denounce a constant erosion of the freedoms enjoyed by residents.
An additional turn of the screw was given in 2020, in the wake of the immense mobilization for democracy that shook the territory for months in 2019.
In September, the elections which were to allow the renewal of half of the Parliament (Legislative Council, Legco) were canceled, the authorities citing the coronavirus pandemic.
On Monday, Carrie Lam hinted that another postponement was likely due to the changes Beijing wanted.
(
with AFP
)
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