CRI听力:Chinese Officials Explain HK Universal Suffrage

Senior Chinese officials are going public to explain the rationale behind their decision to grant universal suffrage to Hong Kong's chief executive election.

CRI's Yu Yang has more.

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Li Fei, deputy secretary-general of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, explains why the decision was made.

"On the one hand, it guarantees genuine choice for voters and ensures competition in the election. On the other, it prevents the election from becoming too complicated and costly."

Li Fei says the expectation that potential candidates will have to obtain the support of more than half of the nominating committee is justified under Hong Kong's Basic Law.

He also says the call for so-called "international standards" to replace Hong Kong's Basic Law are misleading, and only designed to suit their own political interests.

Under the Basic Law, the nomination power only goes to the nomination committee.

The official made the remark in Hong Kong after the top legislature made the decision on how the regional leader in Hong Kong will be chosen in 2017.

The NPC Standing Committee has decided to grant universal suffrage in the selection of Hong Kong's chief executive from 2017 onward, with two or three candidates.

The candidates will be nominated by a "broadly representative" nomination committee.

Incumbent Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung is describing it as a historical decision.

"I hope that Hong Kong would seize the opportunity according to the NPC Standing Committee decisions and in a balanced, rational, lawful and pragmatic attitude so that the 5 million eligible voters will elect their chief executive in 2017 for the first historic time and by way of one person one vote."

Meanwhile, the Deputy Director of Hong Kong's Basic Law Committee, Leung Oi sie, is calling on the legislative council to embrace the decision.

"The NPC has made a solemn decision. Under the framework, we could present a practical plan for the public. I think it is rational."

Wu Jiezhuang, head of a group called the Young Professionals Alliance, says people in Hong Kong should be supporting the decision.

"We know that Hong Kong is a special administrative region in China. We should understand that we need to cooperate with the central government. So we hope that most young friends to sound positively and to help Hong Kong with positive energy."

The potential changes still need two-thirds majority support from members of Hong Kong's Legislative Council.

The Hong Kong government will start a second round of public consultations on its constitutional reforms later this year.

For CRI, I'm Yu Yang.