China again rejects election of Hong Kong’s leader

HONG KONG — China said Saturday it will stick by a decision ruling out the direct election of Hong Kong’s next leader, rejecting a demand by tens of thousands of the territory’s people who had marched in protest two days before.

A top mainland official in Hong Kong said China’s top legislative panel had made its position clear when it said in April that Hong Kong cannot democratically choose the successor to Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa in 2007 or all lawmakers in 2008.

“The National People’s Congress had made a final decision,” said Li Gang, deputy head of Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong. “As the top judicial authority, its decisions cannot be changed, so to try to attempt something that’s impossible is irrational.”

That wish for change had been expressed by the thousands of people who turned out for the peaceful pro-democracy march on Thursday, with many holding out hopes that Beijing would change its mind and move more swiftly on political reforms. Organizers said 530,000 people were there, while police put the figure at 200,000.

Hong Kong, a former British colony, has enjoyed Western-style civil liberties since its handover to Chinese rule in 1997, but only limited democracy.

Tung was picked by an 800-member committee loyal to Beijing. Voters will choose 30 of 60 lawmakers in September elections, with the remaining seats to be filled by representatives of special interest groups, such as business executives, doctors and bankers.

Beijing and the Hong Kong government are worried that the pro-democracy sentiment sweeping through the territory will be bad news for Tung’s legislative allies. They fear they could end up with a Legislative Council that won’t back Tung.

The pro-democracy march came a year after a rally by 500,000 Hong Kong people angered by Tung’s plans to pass an anti-subversion bill that many viewed as a threat to their freedoms. Stunned by the turnout, Tung withdrew the measure, and locals then began setting their sights on full democracy.

Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law, sets out universal suffrage as an eventual goal, but there is no timetable.

Opposition legislator Emily Lau told the Associated Press on Saturday that the pro-democracy camp will ask Tung to lobby China for quicker political reforms.

Tung said following the march on Thursday that he understood people’s aspirations, but he insisted any reforms must be “gradual and orderly” and go along with China’s ruling.