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LegCo Online Up-date: Democracy & Constitutional Development
2009-01-08 Dear Colleague, I moved my motion yesterday on “Public Consultation on 2012 Constitution Reform”. Hon. Abraham Shek, Representative of the Real Estate and Construction FC and Hon. Cheung Kwok Che, Representative of the Social Welfare FC, each proposed amendments to my motion. The debate took about 4 hours. Both amendments were defeated. My motion was carried by 16 to 10 votes in the GC, and defeated by 20 to 4 votes plus 3 abstentions in the FC, and therefore not carried. The voting record is attached. You can see precisely how each member voted. The point of my motion was to clarify whether the CE agrees in principle that universal suffrage precludes screening on the nomination of the CE and requires the abolition of FCs in LegCo. The date of the implementation of universal suffrage is not in issue. Pan-democrats want 2012. The NPC has proposed 2017/2020. This disagreement is irrelevant to the issue of the debate. A negative answer to my question means that even though “universal suffrage” is promised for 2017 and 2020, there is no intention ever to scrap FCs, or allow CE nomination without screening. My speech (in Chinese) and the wording of the amendments are attached. (http://www.margaretng.com/legco_speeches_details.php?id=5) The advertisement which appeared in the HK Economic Journal on 7 January 2009 was signed by 270 persons with the breakdown as follows: Engineers: 8 Members from the legal profession: 50 Social Workers: 23 Members from the tourism and insurance sectors: 4 District Council Members : 15 Members from the commercial, wholesale & retail sectors: 6 Members from the educational profession: 42 Accountants: 7 Members from the IT sector: 43 Members from the medical and health services profession: 20 Members from the architectural, surveying and planning profession: 7 Others: 45 The “20hr12min sit-in” by Civic Party kicked off at 4p.m. on 6 January and concluded at 12:12 noon on 7 January with thousands of paper birds assiduously made by participants and supporters throughout the sit-in thrown high in the air. A bi-lingual pamphlet on Universal Suffrage & Article 25 of the ICCPR (Link: http://www.civicparty.hk/cp/pages/cpnews-e.php?lang=EN) was distributed. The debate and surrounding events have generated a great deal of publicity and interest in the community. They were covered in all the major newspapers, many with big photographs. I spoke in radio programmes including backchat, RTHK interviews, 在晴朗的一天出發, 自由風自由PHONE and on television. The three LSD legislators did not vote. They chose to make a row during the speech of Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Stephen Lam, and so were ordered to withdraw by the president. Such language sullied the dignity of a legislative chamber and is to be regretted. I believe the cause of democracy does not require such conduct for its advancement. Attachments: 1) Speech on motion debate of the constitutional development - 7th January 2009 2) Amendments 3) Voting result |
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