Ng Hong-mun: democratic reform a 'joint decision' between Beijing and Hong Kong

A local member of the Basic Law Committee, Ng Hong-mun, gave his predictions on 29 March of the outcome of the NPC Standing Committee interpretation of the Basic Law provisions. He claimed that the NPC was likely to announce that changes to the electoral system can only be initiated by a joint decision of the central government and Hong Kong.

Ng announced that he believed that the interpretation would stipulate that Hong Kong could not make a unilateral decision to alter the method of electing the chief executive and the Legislative Council after 2007. "Changes to the electoral system should be initiated after both the central government and Hong Kong agree that there is a need to change after thorough discussion", he said in Beijing. He also elucidated that LegCo would not be able to initiate changes to the electoral system, even if approved by the required two-thirds of its membership.

Similarly, Dr Raymond Wu Wai-yung, another committee member from Hong Kong, commented, "Changes to electoral methods after 2007 are unlikely unless the three parties involved in changing the electoral methods, the central government, the Hong Kong government and the LegCo, reach a consensus." He announced that a draft interpretation had been amended twice, following the advice of the Hong Kong members of the Basic Law Committee. Dr Wu said the Central Government, the Hong Kong government and LegCo would all be able to veto changes to the electoral system. "Any unilateral decision, whether it is made by Beijing or Hong Kong, is not good for Hong Kong", he said.

Xiao Weiyun, a mainland drafter of the Basic Law, said that the Central Government had the authority to decide whether there was a need for changes to electoral system after heeding the views of the Hong Kong government. "Annex I says that if there is a need to amend the method for selecting the chief executive, the changes must be approved by two-thirds of Legco, the chief executive and the NPC Standing Committee. Under Annex II, changes to the Legco election methods must pass the first two hurdles, but reporting to the committee is only required for the record. Who can activate the mechanism for change and under what circumstances change will be deemed necessary are the crucial issues to be decided."