27 April 2004	Tuesday	06 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

BEIJING/HONG KONG, April 26: China's parliament on Monday dashed Hong Kong people's hopes of directly electing their leaders in polls in 2007 and 2008, reinforcing Beijing's full control over constitutional change in the territory.

The decision came after top members of the National People's Congress (NPC) had voted on political reforms for the former British colony, where calls have mounted for more voting rights out of growing frustration with the China-backed administration.

The ruling swiftly sparked angry protests in the city. The United States said it watered down Hong Kong's autonomy. Britain voiced disappointment at the NPC's action which it said seemed inconsistent with the "high degree of autonomy" Beijing had guaranteed to Hong Kong under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration.

The parliament's decision was announced in Beijing by Tsang Hin-chi, a Hong Kong member of the NPC's Standing Committee. "There will be no universal suffrage for electing the third Chief Executive in 2007," Tsang told reporters in comments carried live on Hong Kong's Cable Television.

"There will be no universal suffrage for all legislators," he said, referring to elections due in 2008. The move is part of a campaign by Beijing since the start of the year to control Hong Kong's political transition before its integration with the mainland.

Apparently aware of the furore to be stirred, Beijing quickly sent three senior officials to Hong Kong to sell its decision. "The result of drastic reform is bound to be violent confrontation. Then there would be no stability, and society would be unable to bear the cost of this political experiment," senior Chinese parliamentarian Qiao Xiaoyang said in Hong Kong.

"Now Hong Kong's economy is just recovering...Drastic political reform would be unwise...It might hamper the long-term prosperity of Hong Kong," he told an audience which included top businessmen such as Li Ka-shing, Asia's richest tycoon.

Noting local calls for direct elections, Qiao said no responsible government should be dictated to by public opinion. "Fight for universal suffrage! Never give up!" a score of legislators chanted after walking out of a seminar given by Qiao at government headquarters. Other demonstrators burned copies of the city's Basic Law or mini-constitution.

The Joint Declaration made much of Beijing's pledge to allow the former colony such autonomy after the 1997 handover under the principle of "one country, two systems".

"DISAPPOINTED": In a statement, British Foreign Office minister Bill Rammell said London was "disappointed that the NPC has set limits to constitutional development in Hong Kong that are not required by the Basic Law, especially before the Hong Kong Government has completed its consultation and put forward proposals for development.

"We look forward to seeing the proposals that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSARG) comes forward with in the light of this decision.

"We continue to hope that early progress can be made towards the Basic Law's ultimate aims of the election of the Chief Executive and all members of the Legislative Council by universal suffrage, at a pace in line with the wishes of the people of Hong Kong," Rammell added.

Hong Kong's unpopular leader, Tung Chee-hwa, called for calm. "Some people are worried about the...decision. I hope they'll be rational and calm, and let's work hard together to seek a consensus on constitutional reforms," he said.

"This has killed the 'one country two systems' principle and our high degree of autonomy," said Lee Cheuk-yan, a prominent pro-democracy lawmaker and workers' rights champion. "We have to tell the world that we don't accept Beijing running Hong Kong."

Others called on voters to back the democracy camp in legislative elections in September, when Beijing fears opposition politicians could win a majority. Half of Hong Kong's Legislative Council is returned via direct election, while the other half is selected by largely pro-Beijing professional and business groups.

"If Hong Kong people do not accept such high-handedness, they must stand out and express their anger on July 1," said pro-democracy lawmaker Albert Chan. An anti-Beijing protest on that date last year drew half a million people. -Reuters