SCMP: Former Hong Kong leader Tung Chee-hwa says 2017 vote will be ‘real, substantial’ democracy 董建華：港人應將抗爭精力轉投完善選舉細節

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SCMP: Former Hong Kong leader Tung Chee-hwa says 2017 vote will be ‘real, substantial’ democracy 董建華：港人應將抗爭精力轉投完善選舉細節

董建華稱，內地改革開放以來發生了翻天覆地的變化，呼籲港人了解國家關心什麼、國家面臨什麼挑戰、香港可以扮演什麼角色

> Tung says Hong Kong will usher in a new chapter in history in 2017 written by the people of Hong Kong.

> Welcomes NPC framework, says election method for chief executive could change after 2017

> “I appeal to people of all political stripes to come together and turn negative sentiments into positive energy”

Former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa has called on Hongkongers of “all political stripes” to set aside their differences to achieve universal suffrage in 2017.

In his first press conference since stepping down as the city’s leader in March 2005, the former shipping magnate said he noted pan-democrats anger and disappointment at the National People’s Congress Standing Committee’s decision to set tough restriction on the next election of the city’s leader.

“I understand how they feel. I understand how deeply and strongly felt those emotions are,” Tung said.

But Tung, currently vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, said he fully supported the Standing Committee’s decision which means a 1,200-strong committee will select two or three candidates for the 2017 poll.

Tung, who was chosen by a panel of 400 members in 1996 to be chief executive, said that between 1997 and 2017 – “a short time of 20 years” – Hong Kong would have moved from having a British governor “parachuted into” Hong Kong to five million voters choosing their leader.

“From 2017 onward the people of Hong Kong will elect the chief executive by universal suffrage, fulfilling the collective aspiration of Hong Kong,” he said.

“Today, on the eve of Hong Kong’s crucial development in our long history, on the verge of our going for the biggest political leap, how can we possibly choose to stand still? How can we let our march towards democracy stop and stall? We cannot,” he said.

All 27 pan-democratic lawmakers vowed on Sunday to veto any government proposal to implement a “one man, one vote” election according to the model set down in Beijing on Sunday.

The Standing Committee ruled that the nominating committee will be divided into four sectors and will be largely chosen by about 250,000 individual and corporate voters from dozens of subsectors.

“Five million voters personally picking their leader... is democracy, real and substantial,” Tung said.

Tung added that 2017 was not the final destination for Hong Kong’s democratic development. “If, after 2017, we desire to further develop the democratic system there is mechanism within the Basic Law for us to do so,” he said.

“I appeal to people of all political stripes to come together and turn negative sentiments into positive energy. Hand in hand, we will build a sound electoral arrangement on the basis of the foundation laid down by the NPC,” he said.

While he said he was “resolutely opposed” to the Occupy Central movement, Tung said he had no doubt that many of those who were sympathetic towards Occupy Central were patriots and “true blue Hongkongers at heart”. “We may have our differences of views but we are united by our desire to see our city succeed and prosper,” he said.

He also said he did not approve of the call for students to boycott classes. “But I believe students are motivated to do so by their love for Hong Kong; they are idealistic and filled with passion,” the former leader added.

Quoting “health reasons”, Tung resigned in 2005 – three years into his second five-year term – amid widespread dissatisfaction with his rule.

By Gary Cheung and Stuart Lau

董建華：港人應將抗爭精力轉投完善選舉細節

香港首任特首、全國政協副主席董建華今日（9月3日）下午舉行記者會，就香港政改問題發表聲明。董建華表示，支持全國人大常委的決議，理解泛民、“佔中”運動的發起和參與者、罷課學生都是為香港好，強調人大決議並非最終方案，呼籲全港市民攜手合作，將用在抗爭上的精力轉投到在人大決議基礎上，完善選舉安排的各項細節。

董建華稱，1997年，他被一個由400人組成的選舉委員會選舉成為香港第一任行政長官，選委會之後擴大到800人、再擴大到現在的1200人，每一次都是向民主邁進，2017年，全港500萬選民可以一人一票選特首，“怎麼可以選擇原地踏步”？

對於泛民的憤怒和反對，董建華表示，相信他們是發自真心，但500萬選民一人一票選特首是實質的民主、貨真價實的民主，而且不是終極方案，2017之後，如果要進一步完善民主制度，基本法有機制也有空間，可以繼續推進。

董建華表示，港人政治觸覺敏銳、思想成熟，不論支持建制或泛民的人，大部分都是溫和理性的，大部分都是愛國愛港的，每一個愛國愛港的人都可以用自己的理念、抱負、才能爭取提委會支持，參加2017年特首選舉，然後讓500萬選民來決定。

董建華認為，民主沒有終點，爭取民主也並非改善民生的全部，因此呼籲全港市民，化負面情緒為正面能量，在人大決定基礎上，商討落實各項選舉安排的細節。

由於不滿全國人大常委會對於香港政改方案的決議，有團體聲言將發動佔領中環和罷課行動。董建華表態稱，堅決反對佔中，不贊成學生罷課，但確信參與佔中的人中不乏愛國愛港者，準備參加罷課的學生也都是熱愛香港的學生。

董建華呼籲，準備佔中的人士不要做違法的事，全港的老師和家長都要愛護學生，不要影響學習。

董建華反問：我們要爭拗內訌到什麼時候？並呼籲市民為了下一代，要將抗爭的精力和創意放在完善選舉制度細節上，兩年半之後，500萬人一起去投票，“香港是我們的共同家園，我們必須合作”。

有記者提問全國人大常委決議不符合國際標準，董建華表示，自己已經77歲，去過很多地方也研究過很多地方，但都找不到國際標準，又強調香港並非獨立，而且是在全世界獨一無二的一國兩制下發展，即便別國有別國的標準，這裡也用不上

董建華指出，公民提名是違反基本法的，而民主最重要的就是法治，如果一開頭就不尊重法治，怎麼會有民主。

末代港督彭定康昨日於英國《金融時報》撰文，稱英國對香港發展負有道德責任，應該履行中英聯合聲明中的承諾，保障香港回歸後50年不變。英國議會外事委員會主席奧特維（Richard Ottaway）也表示，不會應中方要求停止對香港民主進程的調查，並指人大決定可能違反聯合聲明。

董建華今天提到，中英聯合聲明根本沒提普選，基本法反而有，聲明是一件事，現在要跟基本法做，人大是根據基本法推動香港政改，港人要認清這一點。

董建華表示，自己此時走出來見傳媒，是因為“真的覺得是關鍵性時刻”，並稱人大通過的方案很重要，呼籲大家反思原地踏步的後果，到底要怎麼選擇。

董建華認為，如果2017年實現普選，即便有人不滿意，但整體是大事、好事，如果原地踏步，就不知道何時才能再開始，港人應該把握當下的機會。

當被問到人大這次決定為何這樣“緊”，缺少轉圜空間時，董建華稱，內地改革開放以來發生了翻天覆地的變化，“我覺得我們香港人，人家在變，我們的看法沒怎麼變”，呼籲港人了解國家關心什麼、國家面臨什麼挑戰、香港可以扮演什麼角色。

有港媒報道指，董建華本月底可能率香港工商專業界團體赴京，將獲得高規格接待，記者會上有記者問，他是否會在訪京時幫助兩邊溝通。

董建華在記者會上表示，溝通要有兩方面才能達成，所以港人要去理解內地正在發生的變化，“如果我們原地踏步，就會被時代拋下”。

董建華最後表示，要“退一步，看一看”，大家不必急於決定是否接受政改方案，距離明年春天立法會審議方案還有半年時間，大家可以在這段時間溝通商量落實細節。