British Minister gives UK Government's views on constitutional reform in Hong Kong (04/11/2009)
At the Hong Kong Trade Development Council dinner in London on Tuesday 3 November, attended by Chief Secretary Henry Tang, British Government Minister Bill Rammell MP spoke on behalf of the British Government. In a wide ranging speech paying tribute to the breadth and depth of relations between Britain and Hong Kong, Mr Rammell made the following remarks on Hong Kong's constitutional development process.
Mr Rammell said, "Hong Kong's stability and prosperity are of course underpinned by its rights and freedoms, which have been maintained under the "One Country, Two Systems" formulation. More than 12 years on from the Handover, we are pleased at how well "One Country Two Systems" continues to work; the Foreign Secretary has frequently said so in his six monthly reports to Parliament.
"We have also said on many occasions publicly that we believe that Hong Kong's rights and freedoms can best be guaranteed by Hong Kong moving to a system of universal suffrage for the election of Chief Executive in 2017, and Legislative Council in 2020 - as envisaged by the decision in 2007 by the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress. The European Union and other members of the international community share our view.
"When I was in Hong Kong in January, the Government had just postponed its public consultation on electoral arrangements for the 2012 elections. I was assured, as our EU partners were too when they subsequently called on the Government, that there would be no further slippage to the timetable for the consultation beyond the 4th Quarter of this year. So I am delighted that the Hong Kong Government will launch the consultation during this month.
"Along with our EU partners and others in the international community, we will take a close interest. The Chief Executive has said that the Government's proposals for 2012 will not be a recycling of the 2005 package - which did not gather sufficient support among legislators to pass.
"So we hope this time around, the Hong Kong Government will introduce proposals that are sufficiently progressive for the required number of legislators to support them.
"It is important that the 2012 elections will be significantly more democratic than those held in 2007 and 2008 in order to conform to the principle of "gradual and orderly progress" towards universal suffrage. Unlike in 2005, the timetable for full universal suffrage in 2017 and 2020 is now in place - so it is crucial that progress is made for 2012."
