The
vote was unofficial, organised by the pro-democracy group, Occupy Central, with
the aim of demonstrating that citizens of the Special Administrative Region
(SAR) support universal suffrage - and to pressure Beijing into allowing a
realistic way of choosing the Hong Kong Chief Executive in reforms, planned for
2017.
When
the former British colony was handed back to China on June 30, 1997 Beijing
promised that its citizens would eventually receive universal suffrage under
its ‘One Country, Two Systems’ model. The original date for its introduction, 2012,
was set aside, many activists believing China hoped that Hong Kong’s democracy
movement would lose heart and fade away.
This
clearly hasn’t happened, and although 2017 is still on schedule for full
universal suffrage, Beijing has ruled that candidates must come from a list
selected by a nominating committee, possibly allowing it to screen out anyone
it disapproves of.
The
referendum asked Hong Kongers to select a system for electing a Chief
Executive, currently appointed by a small group of pro-Beijing establishment
figures. The winner, with around 42 per cent of the vote, allows candidates to
be nominated either by 35,000 registered voters or by any political party which
gained at least five per cent of the vote in the previous election for the Legislative
Council.
Such
a plan would inevitably lead to multi-party democracy, something that is
anathema to Beijing where continuation of the Communist one-party system is put
on an equal footing with protection of the nation as a whole.
In
the past Hong Kongers have taken to the streets in their hundreds of thousands
to protest against any perceived backsliding on the road to democracy. Until
now the campaign has been provocative – Hong Kong flags from its colonial era were
waved at demonstrations a year ago – but generally peaceful.
Fears
are that an outright rejection of this proposal will lead to a campaign of
civil disobedience which could turn violent, giving Beijing the excuse to
launch a crackdown and creating yet another flashpoint in a region which already
has a surfeit of them
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