Hong Kong's new leader insisted yesterday that the territory's abrupt leadership change wasn't part of a Chinese conspiracy, and pledged that the global business center was moving toward greater democracy and wouldn't backtrack.
"There is no question of going back," Donald Tsang (曾蔭權) said in his first briefing with foreign reporters since taking office on Saturday as acting chief executive. "The next stage will be more democratic than it is now."
Tsang replaced the unpopular Tung Chee-hwa (董建華), who had led the former British colony since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Tung quit, citing failing health, but many believe Beijing's Communist leaders sacked him because they wanted to install someone more to their liking.
But Tsang -- who serves until a new leader is elected on July 10 -- said the speculation was untrue.
"There is absolutely no conspiracy in this," he said.
One of the factors fueling the conspiracy theories was the government's awkward flip-flop on its reading of term limit laws. Last year, the government's legal experts said that if a chief executive quits, the law says that the elected successor would serve a full five-year term.
But after it became clear that Tung was leaving early, officials and legal experts in China began saying that Tung's elected successor would only finish Tung's term -- about two years -- and another election would be held in 2007 as scheduled.
Hong Kong officials quickly changed their minds and supported Beijing's legal interpretation.
Pro-democracy groups accused the government of caving in to Beijing and stomping on Hong Kong's cherished rule of law -- one the territory's biggest sources of pride. A popular theory is that Beijing favors the two-year option because it gives the Communist leadership a chance to see how loyal the leader will be. If he's sufficiently obedient to China, he'll get another five years.
Tsang acknowledged that the government did a U-turn on the law.
"Regrettably, our previous understanding was wrong," he said.
He added that officials changed their reading of the law after doing more research and consulting more experts in Hong Kong and mainland China. He said that the two-year option was fairer because the government would stick to its promise of holding the 2007 election.
Tsang also noted that the 800-member election committee that picks the chief executive finishes its term on July 13. He said it would be wrong to let the current committee elect a leader to a five-year term that would extend past the committee's authority.
"That to me is the nut of the legal argument," said Tsang, who declined to say whether he would seek election.
He added that a task force is researching ways to expand Hong Kong's democracy, and one approach would be to enlarge the 800-member election committee, which is dominated by people partial to Beijing. The political reforms were expected to be made before the 2007 vote, so he said canceling the election would be a mistake.
"An opportunity for us to go more democratic would be eliminated ... That's not desirable," he said.
Seven people sustained mostly minor injuries in an airplane fire in South Korea, authorities said yesterday, with local media suggesting the blaze might have been caused by a portable battery stored in the overhead bin. The Air Busan plane, an Airbus A321, was set to fly to Hong Kong from Gimhae International Airport in southeastern Busan, but caught fire in the rear section on Tuesday night, the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said. A total of 169 passengers and seven flight attendants and staff were evacuated down inflatable slides, it said. Authorities initially reported three injuries, but revised the number
‘BALD-FACED LIE’: The woman is accused of administering non-prescribed drugs to the one-year-old and filmed the toddler’s distress to solicit donations online A social media influencer accused of filming the torture of her baby to gain money allegedly manufactured symptoms causing the toddler to have brain surgery, a magistrate has heard. The 34-year-old Queensland woman is charged with torturing an infant and posting videos of the little girl online to build a social media following and solicit donations. A decision on her bail application in a Brisbane court was yesterday postponed after the magistrate opted to take more time before making a decision in an effort “not to be overwhelmed” by the nature of allegations “so offensive to right-thinking people.” The Sunshine Coast woman —
BORDER SERVICES: With the US-funded International Rescue Committee telling clinics to shut by tomorrow, Burmese refugees face sudden discharge from Thai hospitals Healthcare centers serving tens of thousands of refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border have been ordered shut after US President Donald Trump froze most foreign aid last week, forcing Thai officials to transport the sickest patients to other facilities. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which funds the clinics with US support, told the facilities to shut by tomorrow, a local official and two camp committee members said. The IRC did not respond to a request for comment. Trump last week paused development assistance from the US Agency for International Development for 90 days to assess compatibility with his “America First” policy. The freeze has thrown
PINEAPPLE DEBATE: While the owners of the pizzeria dislike pineapple on pizza, a survey last year showed that over 50% of Britons either love or like the topping A trendy pizzeria in the English city of Norwich has declared war on pineapples, charging an eye-watering ￡100 (US$124) for a Hawaiian in a bid to put customers off the disputed topping. Lupa Pizza recently added pizza topped with ham and pineapple to its account on a food delivery app, writing in the description: “Yeah, for ￡100 you can have it. Order the champagne too! Go on, you monster!” “[We] vehemently dislike pineapple on pizza,” Lupa co-owner Francis Wolf said. “We feel like it doesn’t suit pizza at all,” he said. The other co-owner, head chef Quin Jianoran, said they kept tinned pineapple
RSS