Hong Kong parliament defies Beijing's insistence and rejects 'democracy' plan

Source: The Guardian

Proposal that would have allowed election of leaders, but only from candidates vetted by Communist party hierarchy, is defeated in key vote.

Pro-democracy lawmakers in Hong Kong have defeated attempts to bring “fake democracy” to the former British colony by voting down a controversial Beijing-backed plan that sparked mass demonstrations in 2014.


Pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo carrying a yellow umbrella, a symbol of the Occupy Central movement, leaves after voting at the legislative council in Hong Kong. Photograph: Bobby Yip/Reuters

The proposal – which China insisted represented true universal suffrage – would have seen Hong Kong’s five million voters granted the right to directly elect their future leaders – but only after candidates had been screened by a pro-Beijing committee.

The “political reform package” was rejected on Thursday with 28 legislators in Hong Kong’s parliament voting against it. Eight lawmakers voted for the proposal. There are 70 members in all but more than two dozen pro-government politicians walked out of the session without voting in an apparent attempt to halt proceedings.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/18/hong-kong-parliament-defies-beijings-insistence-and-rejects-democracy-plan

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Hong Kong stands up to Beijing and refuses to rubber stamp the government's attempt to impose a 'fake democracy' on them.

“What they got through this hard line was the whole of civil society protesting and resisting Beijing. It really backfired on them. We would hope that there would be some lessons learned and some acts of contrition going forward. Will that happen? Right now one can’t be optimistic.”