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BEIJING. – China has passed sweeping changes to Hong Kong’s electoral rules which will tighten its control over the city. The number of directly elected seats in parliament has been cut almost by half, and prospective MPs will first be vetted by a committee to ensure their loyalty to the mainland.
The aim is to ensure only “patriotic” figures can run for positions of power.
The sweeping bill is the biggest overhaul of Hong Kong’s political system to occur since the territory returned to Chinese rule in 1997, and comes as Beijing seeks to consolidate power over the financial hub.
Hong Kong’s leader, Carrie Lam, said there is not a “one-size-fits-all” way of doing democracy, adding the vetting committee will not screen people out based on their political views, but rather weed out any “non-patriots”.
Lam said as long as the candidates can show allegiance to Hong Kong, uphold the basic law and pass national security checks, they will be permitted to run for election”.
“For people who hold different political beliefs, who are more inclined towards more democracy, or who are more conservative, who belong to the left or belong to the right, as long as they meet this very fundamental and basic requirement, I don’t see why they could not run for election,” she said.
The first vote under the changes, which will elect members to Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (LegCo), will be held in December. Beijing’s parliament first approved the plan during the National People’s Congress (NPC) meetings earlier in March.
On Tuesday, Chinese state media reported that the country’s top decision-making body, the NPC Standing Committee, voted unanimously to pass it. This amends the annexes of Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law.
Chinese authorities have said the election reform is necessary to assure the region’s stability. Officials say the overhaul seeks to get rid of “loopholes and deficiencies” and assure that patriotic citizens are in control. – BBC/DW.
Online Reporter