Erick Tsang: Reforms Pave Way To "quality Democracy"

Senior officials in Hong Kong continued on Saturday to talk up Beijing's sweeping reform of the SAR's electoral system, with one proclaiming that "quality democracy" is now possible and another promising that more people would be able to participate in politics.

Their comments came as international criticism of the reforms, approved by the National People's Congress on Thursday, continued, with the European Union and the Group of Seven nations condemning the changes.

Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang told an RTHK programme that there was no way Hong Kong could achieve what he described as “quality democracy” if the electoral system wasn’t improved.

He pointed to the provision of Articles 45 and 68 of the Basic Law which stipulates that the electoral system will be based on the actual situation in the SAR, while urging people not to over-emphasise the promise in the same articles of the mini-constitution of "gradual and orderly progress".

Tsang said the number of directly elected seats isn't the sole measurement of whether an electoral system is improved or not.

"The current [constitutional] development has been off the course. It has to go back on the right track and progress in a gradual, orderly and healthy manner. Otherwise this is not gradual and orderly ... you will never reach the destination."

"People should not over-emphasise the principle of gradual and orderly progress, because there are also two other words in front of it and that is actual situation. You can see how chaotic the situation has been, effective governance wasn't possible," he said.

Meanwhile Justice Secretary Teresa Cheng said the NPC’s decision increases the opportunities for people to take part in politics, as more seats will be made available in Legco and on the committee that picks the chief executive.

Legco is to be expanded from 70 to 90 seats, while the Election Committee, which will take on new powers for choosing some Legco members as well as the chief executive, will grow from 1,200 to 1,500 seats.

The Beijing and Hong Kong governments have yet to set out exactly how the new seats will be allocated.

Overnight on Friday, the G7 nations issued a joint statement calling on Beijing to "restore confidence in Hong Kong's political institutions and end the unwarranted oppression of those who promote democratic values".

The European Union issued a scathing report on the SAR's political situation on Friday, which the SAR government rejected as "biased and ungrounded political smearing".