South Morning China Post

你睇下啱唔啱用...


南華早報 SCMP Democracy activists planning big march
Pan-democracy activists are planning a major march on January 13 in protest against Beijing ruling out universal suffrage for Hong Kong in 2012.

The protest was announced as the secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs said the government would work with political parties to make progress for electoral reforms in 2012.

Stephen Lam Sui-lung said Hong Kong would be a starting point for discussion of a road map for universal suffrage. He appealed to all political parties to set aside their differences and work towards reaching consensus to pave the way for the implementation of universal suffrage in 2017 and 2020.

Regardless of the National People's Congress Standing Committee's decision, Ronny Tong Ka-wah of the Civic Party said drawing the public's attention to continuing the fight for universal suffrage in 2012 would be the most crucial task facing the pandemocrats.

He believed it was too early to give up the fight for implementing universal suffrage by that year.

About 20,000 people are expected to march from Victoria Park to the Central Government Offices on January 13. Participants have been asked to wear black or white.



南華早報 SCMP Divisions surface on functional constituencies
Political parties differ on handling the Legislative Council's functional constituencies under universal suffrage, a major issue not specified in Beijing's decision on Saturday against granting Hong Kong democracy in 2012.

The National People's Congress Standing Committee says universal suffrage for the legislature will take place only after the chief executive is elected by universal suffrage.

The committee decided the 50-50 ratio between members returned by functional constituencies and those returned through direct election should remain unchanged in 2012.

However, there was no specification of how the Legco functional constituencies should be dealt with under universal suffrage.

Speaking on the RTHK programme City Forum, Tam Yiu-chung, chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said the community should make the best use of the time to further discuss how functional constituencies could work with universal suffrage.