Official: HK people should abide by NPC ruling
By Tonny Chan and Eddie Luk (China Daily HK Edition)
Updated: 2004-07-06 14:28

Hong Kong people are duty-bound to accept the decision made by the country's top legislature that ruled out universal suffrage in the election of the chief executive and Legislative Council in 2007 and 2008, said the mainland's top official in Hong Kong.

Gao Siren, director of the Liaison Office of Central People's Government in Hong Kong, was speaking yesterday at the 12th anniversary reception of the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong.

Gao said the ruling by the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) on the political development of Hong Kong was the final legal authority. Hong Kong people - as law-abiding citizens - should respect the decision, he said.

He noted that in the procession on July 1, some demonstrators had chanted inappropriate slogans.

Speaking at the same function, the commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong, Yang Wenchang, said that he could see in the television footage that many people taking part in the procession were rational. Although the decision by the NPCSC could not be changed, Yang said the election arrangements in 2007 and 2008 were still open to improvement.

He reiterated that Hong Kong was like a brilliant pearl and the central government would do everything to safeguard Hong Kong's interests.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa will meet with 22 "democrat" legislators tomorrow to hear their demands for universal suffrage in 2007 and 2008.

Speaking yesterday, Executive Councillor Leung Chun-ying said it was impossible for the NPCSC to overturn its decision on Hong Kong's constitutional development.

In another development yesterday, nearly 600 businessmen, political figures, academics and professionals - including Executive Councillor Andrew Liao, STDM chief Stanley Ho, retired Justice of Appeal Benjamin Liu, legislator Abraham Shek and DAB Vice-Chairman Tam Yiu-chung - issued a statement in the press to stress the importance of maintaining pragmatism, stability and harmony in Hong Kong.

They said pragmatism, stability and harmony were also the core values of Hong Kong. They drew reference to a declaration by another group of academics and professionals that said, among others, liberty, democracy and human rights were Hong Kong's core values.

They said pragmatism made Hong Kong prosper, stability formed the base of all long-term objectives and harmony laid the foundation of prosperity and development.

"Treasure Hong Kong's relationship with the central government and the mainland; treasure harmony between all sectors; treasure social stability," they urged.

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