HONG KONG - Hong KongÂ’s communist leaders in Beijing said they would allow the territory to directly elect its own leader in 2017 and all its lawmakers after that, but critics warned China would still be in control behind the scenes.| Safely into the future and plenty of time to change their minds. |
The decision comes amid fierce debate between political camps in Hong Kong on how hard to push Beijing to make good on its pledge to allow direct elections in the former British colony.
| And ensuring that the 2008 Olympics aren't marred by any fussy democratic rallies and protests. |
The opposition democrats have said the affluent city is mature enough now to choose its own government, and after failing to win approval for direct elections in 2007, had campaigned vigorously for 2012, including staging hunger strikes and mass protests.
Beijing has favored a more gradual approach, in part because it is wary of demands for democracy spilling over into other parts of China where the civil and political freedoms enjoyed in Hong Kong are absent.
Setting a timetable for universal suffrage showed Beijing had trust in Hong KongÂ’s people and would allow the bustling financial hub to focus on developing its economy, said Qiao Xiaoyang, a senior member of ChinaÂ’s parliament who flew to Hong Kong to explain the decision. He said Hong Kong would be allowed to choose its leader through a direct election in 2017, and all its lawmakers after that, with 2020 the earliest date.
But opposition democrats said the decision was vague and could allow Beijing to influence elections from behind the scenes, for example, by instructing its allies to vote against certain electoral reforms in the legislature. The decision stipulates that before 2017, changes to the electoral process must first win a two-thirds majority in the legislature, dominated by BeijingÂ’s allies, and then be sent back to Beijing for approval.
"The central government seems to be advocating direct elections in 2017, but yet the details are unclear ... what if there is some interference from (Beijing) to veto demands for direct elections in the legislature," Democrat Party chairman Albert Ho told supporters outside Hong KongÂ’s government headquarters late Saturday.
Political analysts also noted that candidates contesting the leadership race may still need to be nominated by an electoral committee yet to be announced. The current committee that chooses the chief executive is stacked by BeijingÂ’s allies.