Delivery of petition for HK democracy
31 October 2014
(with response 21-Nov-2014)
To: ceo@ceo.gov.hk
Mr Leung Chun Ying
Chief Executive
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
The People's
Republic of China
Dear Chief Executive,
As you may know, a petition has been running for a week so far, on Avaaz.org, a leading international petition site. The bilingual petition, at this link, has so far been signed by 2,114 people, the vast majority of which are HK residents. It remains open for signature. The current list of signatures is attached. The petition calls on you as follows:
HK Chief Executive C Y Leung: send a new report to
NPCSC, for true democracy in HK
致香港行政長官梁振英:為香港有真正民主，提交新報告給全國人大常委會
HK has waited too long for true democracy. The National People's Congress Standing Committee has proposed fake democracy with candidates needing 50% approval of the Nominating Committee. The HK leader must send a new report to the NPCSC, recommending restoring the nomination threshold to 1/8 (12.5%) of the NC (1 candidate per member), to allow candidates for Chief Executive to run for universal suffrage election in 2017 without being pre-elected, and thereby allowing up to 8 candidates. He must also table local legislation to abolish corporate voting for the NC and the Legislative Council in 2016 and make the NC and LegCo more democratic.
香港等待真正的民主已經太久了。全國人大常委會提出特首候選人需得到提委會半數支持是假民主。香港領導人必須提交一份新的報告，建議全國人大常委會恢復提名門檻至得到提委會八份一 (12.5%) 支持便可 (每一委會只可選一候選人)，容許2017年的特首普選候選人不需經過預先篩選，亦可有多達八個候選人。同時他亦必須建議立法廢除提委會及2016年立法局的公司選票，使提委會及立法局更加民主。
If there is any inconsistency or ambiguity between the English version and the Chinese version, the English version shall prevail.
此中文為英文版本譯本，如中、英文兩個版本有任何抵觸或不相符之處，應以英文版本為準。
Please act on this. Please update, or if you prefer, restart, the "Five-step process", to update the NPCSC on the "Actual Situation in the HKSAR" as required by the Basic Law and the 6-Apr-2004 decision of the NPCSC. Please recommend to the NPCSC that they restore the nomination threshold to 12.5%, as it was in 2012, rather than the 50% proposal which would make it 4 times harder to be nominated than in 2012. That would not be "gradual and orderly progress", but a great leap backward.
This realistic and pragmatic petition does not call for direct civic nomination, which is not permitted by Article 45 of the Basic Law, unless amended. It only calls for restoration of the nomination threshold to allow all candidates a fair opportunity to be nominated, and for HK legislation to abolish corporate voting in the elections for members of the Nominating Committee and in the Legislative Council Functional Constituencies for 2016, to make both more representative.
Corporate voting can be replaced in many cases using professional registers such as those available from the Estate Agents Authority, the Securities and Futures Commission, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Construction Workers Registration Authority, following the existing principles for teachers, accountants, lawyers, architects, engineers, social workers and other professions who already have direct votes. This should then pave the way for the abolition of FCs in 2020 consistent with the 29-Dec-2007 decision of the NPCSC.
We look forward to your favourable response. You have the opportunity to resolve the current impasse over constitutional development, move Hong Kong forward, and land on the right side of history.
Yours sincerely,
David M. Webb
Founder, Webb-site.com
Initial Response
Received at 11:33 on 6-Nov-2014:
Dear Mr Webb,
Thank you for your email of 31.10.14, attaching a
petition for HK democracy, to the Chief Executive. I am authorised to reply on
his behalf.
The matter raised is receiving attention. A reply will be
given to you in due course.
Yours sincerely,
(Patty Mak)
for
Private Secretary to Chief Executive
Response
Received at 18:42 on 21-Nov-2014:
Dear Mr Webb,
Thank you for your email dated 31 October 2014 to the Chief Executive, which
has been referred to our Bureau. I am authorised to reply on his behalf. Your
views are well noted.
Thank you for your concern on matters relating to
the constitutional development of Hong Kong.
(Miss Dorothy YUEN)
for
Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs
People in this story
Topics in this story
Sign up for our free newsletter
Recommend Webb-site to a friend
Copyright & disclaimer, Privacy policy