US urges ‘meaningful choice’ of candidates for Hong Kong’s leader

It is for Hongkongers and the city’s lawmakers to decide whether to pass the proposal for the 2017 chief executive election, the US consulate says, although the United States believes the legitimacy of the city’s leader will be enhanced if there is a meaningful choice of candidates.

The US has an interest in Hong Kong’s continued stability and prosperity based on “one country, two systems,” the Basic Law, and a high degree of autonomy, consulate spokesman Scott Robinson said.

“As we have said previously, we believe that the legitimacy of the chief executive will be greatly enhanced if the chief executive is selected through universal suffrage and Hong Kong’s residents have a meaningful choice of candidates,” he said. “It is for the Hong Kong Government, the Legislative Council, and the people of Hong Kong to decide whether or not to pass this proposal.”

The government yesterday put forward a blueprint for the 2017 chief executive electoral reform proposal, in line with the restrictive framework set last year by Beijing. It requires chief executive hopefuls to win majority support from a 1,200-strong nominating body, which will approve two to three candidates for whom Hongkongers can vote in a general election.

The proposal needs the support of at least four pan-democrat lawmakers to obtain the required two-thirds backing in order to pass.

Pan-democrats have vowed to vote down the government’s proposal because it deprives Hongkongers of a genuine choice of candidates.