1. We are Christians for Eco-concern of Hong Kong, an environmental network supported by the Hong Kong Christian Council. We notice that the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau is conducting a three-month public consultation to widely collect views on the options, roadmap and timetable for implementing universal suffrage for the CE and LegCo of the HKSAR. The following paragraphs spell out our views accordingly.
2. As members of the HKSAR, we support the basic policies of “One Country, Two Systems”, “Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong” and “a high degree of autonomy” for Hong Kong’s internal affairs. We also welcome The Joint Declaration of 1984 which prescribed that the current systems in Hong Kong would remain unchanged.
3. We respect the political structure of the HKSAR as prescribed in Chapter IV of the Basic Law and Annexes I and II therein. We have no problem with Article 45 of the Basic Law which provides that “The CE of the HKSAR shall be selected by election or through consultations held locally and be appointed by the Central People’s Government of China.”
4. Similarly, we agree to Article 68 of the Basic Law which provides that “The LegCo of the HKSAR shall be constituted by election. The method for forming LegCo shall be specified in the light of the actual situation in the HKSAR and in accordance with the principle of gradual and orderly progress. The ultimate aim is the election of all the members of LegCo by universal suffrage.”
5. We take note that it is the HKSAR government’s view that in the process of attaining the ultimate aim of universal suffrage and in designing a model for implementing universal suffrage, we must ensure that, inter alia, the four principles on constitutional development under the Basic Law could be fully implemented, namely,
(a) meeting the interests of different sectors of society;
(b) facilitating the development of the capitalist economy;
(c) gradual and orderly progress; and
(d) appropriate to the actual situation in the HKSAR.
6. As an eco-concern group, we urge the government to take the long term environmental interests of Hong Kong, China and also that of the world in its formulation of any policy. Being a cosmopolitan member of the global community, Hong Kong should do no less than taking a leadership role in the fight against global warming and other environmental issues. We owe it to ourselves and our future generations to engage this fight NOW with commitment, determination and commensurate policies and programs. Our children will not forgive us for doing anything less.
7. Since a sustainable economy is inextricably based on a healthy ecology and the thriving of the human race, we propose that one extra principle be incorporated into the four principles on constitutional development under the Basic Law, namely, we need to undertake and strive for harmony with people and nature, starting locally and extending globally.
8. The above would call for, as a start, the addition of a commensurate and representative (sizeable since it involves everyone) environmental sector (including the NGOs) as part of the functional constituencies in the current system and to strive for greater representation in future constitutional revisions.
Submitted by:
Christians for Eco-concern
Date: 10 October, 2007
2. As members of the HKSAR, we support the basic policies of “One Country, Two Systems”, “Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong” and “a high degree of autonomy” for Hong Kong’s internal affairs. We also welcome The Joint Declaration of 1984 which prescribed that the current systems in Hong Kong would remain unchanged.
3. We respect the political structure of the HKSAR as prescribed in Chapter IV of the Basic Law and Annexes I and II therein. We have no problem with Article 45 of the Basic Law which provides that “The CE of the HKSAR shall be selected by election or through consultations held locally and be appointed by the Central People’s Government of China.”
4. Similarly, we agree to Article 68 of the Basic Law which provides that “The LegCo of the HKSAR shall be constituted by election. The method for forming LegCo shall be specified in the light of the actual situation in the HKSAR and in accordance with the principle of gradual and orderly progress. The ultimate aim is the election of all the members of LegCo by universal suffrage.”
5. We take note that it is the HKSAR government’s view that in the process of attaining the ultimate aim of universal suffrage and in designing a model for implementing universal suffrage, we must ensure that, inter alia, the four principles on constitutional development under the Basic Law could be fully implemented, namely,
(a) meeting the interests of different sectors of society;
(b) facilitating the development of the capitalist economy;
(c) gradual and orderly progress; and
(d) appropriate to the actual situation in the HKSAR.
6. As an eco-concern group, we urge the government to take the long term environmental interests of Hong Kong, China and also that of the world in its formulation of any policy. Being a cosmopolitan member of the global community, Hong Kong should do no less than taking a leadership role in the fight against global warming and other environmental issues. We owe it to ourselves and our future generations to engage this fight NOW with commitment, determination and commensurate policies and programs. Our children will not forgive us for doing anything less.
7. Since a sustainable economy is inextricably based on a healthy ecology and the thriving of the human race, we propose that one extra principle be incorporated into the four principles on constitutional development under the Basic Law, namely, we need to undertake and strive for harmony with people and nature, starting locally and extending globally.
8. The above would call for, as a start, the addition of a commensurate and representative (sizeable since it involves everyone) environmental sector (including the NGOs) as part of the functional constituencies in the current system and to strive for greater representation in future constitutional revisions.
Submitted by:
Christians for Eco-concern
Date: 10 October, 2007
