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Hong Kong leader promises fair elections
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Copyright ) 1997 Nando.net
Copyright ) 1997 The Associated Press
HONG KONG (December 6, 1997 11:59 a.m. EST http://www.nando.net) -- Hong
Kong leader Tung Chee-hwa promised a policy of "impartial, open and fair
elections" to 900 green-vested election workers rallying in a downtown
park Saturday, just before he fell sideways off the low, red-carpeted
stage.
Apparently unhurt and still wearing his trademark warm grin, Tung
scrambled to his feet. But the fall seemed a bad omen for an election
that some say is already ill-fated.
Hong Kong democrats critical of China's one-party system say that new
rules for next year's election are designed to lower their chances of
winning seats.
Even a grassroots party close to China says government plans to raise
campaign spending ceilings - by 150 percent -- will hurt them and favor
candidates from Hong Kong's powerful business elite. Democrats, with
little support from big business, agree.
The government says bigger constituencies this time mean candidates
should be able to spend more. It denies targeting democrats in changing
the election rules.
As proof of their sincerity, officials point to a door-to-door
registration drive, which Tung launched Saturday. This weekend, 30,000
volunteers will knock on 2 million doors to sign up eligible voters.
If people are out, the volunteers will call again over the next five
days.
A new election law shrinks the franchise for 30 of the 60 legislative
seats from about 2.5 million registered voters to 180,000. Twenty others
will be elected by universal suffrage, and 10 by a committee of 800.
Random interviews in Hong Kong Park, where families and friends strolled
among an exhibition of fragrant flowers, suggest some agree with the
democrats' criticisms.
"They've made it so 2 million less people will cast a vote. That's not
very fair," said Connie Au, who was already registered.
Another passer-by, Michael Fung, said, "I think many people support the
Democratic Party. This election is different from last time."
In 1995 elections, the Democratic Party's 19 seats made it the biggest
party in the 60-seat legislature. With 11 allies, they had a powerful
pro-democracy voice.
But on July 1, China disbanded that legislature, saying it didn't agree
with the rules under which it was elected, and installed an unelected
body.
The election method for the 20 directly-elected seats has been changed
to a proportional representation system that tends to favor small
groups, undercutting support for the Democratic Party
One of the government's toughest critics, popular former independent
lawmaker Emily Lau, said the government wants everyone to vote, but
under rules that "favor big business and pro-Communist groups."
-- By DIDI KIRSTEN TATLOW, The Associated Press
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