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Petition Letter to the Chief Executive on issues of Constitutional Reform of the Hong Kong SAR

25 July 2002

The Hon Tung Chee-hwa
Chief Executive
Chief Executive’s Office
Central Government Offices
Lower Albert Road
Central
Hong Kong

Dear Mr Tung,

The Power for Democracy believes that one of most important tasks in your second term of office is to review and reform the constitutional arrangements of the Hong Kong SAR. Such a review should lead to a system of universal suffrage, whereby the political leaders of the Hong Kong SAR are elected openly, fairly and on an equal basis. We feel strongly that this is an important responsibility the HKSAR Government should not shy away from.

According to Article 45 of The Basic Law of The Hong Kong SAR of the People’s Republic of China (Basic Law), "The method for selecting the Chief Executive shall be specified in the actual situation in the Hong Kong SAR and in accordance with the principle of gradual and orderly progress. The ultimate aim is the selection of the Chief Executive by universal suffrage upon nominated by a broadly representative nominating committee in accordance with democratic procedures." Article 68 of the Basic Law also promises, "The method for forming the Legislative Council shall be specified in the light of the actual situation in the Hong Kong SAR and in accordance with the principle of gradual and orderly progress. The ultimate aim is the election of all the members of the Legislative Council by universal suffrage."

Furthermore, Article 39 of the Basic Law promises, "The provision of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the international labour conventions as applied to Hong Kong shall remain in force and shall be implemented through the laws of the Hong Kong SAR."

To realise the promise in the Basic Law, we urge you and the Hong Kong SAR Government to hold a Constitutional Convention as a forum for debating the issues concerned. This Convention should include: all political parties, representatives from different sectors, academics and constitutional experts from within the People’s Republic of China and overseas. The objectives of the Convention are:

• to review the political, administrative and electoral systems,
• to set a timetable of the election of the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council by universal and equal suffrage which is promised in the Basic Law.

We believe that the vast majority of the Hong Kong people want to have the right to elect their government, and numerous polls conducted over the years consistently showed that more than 70% of the population supports this.

We would like to discuss the details of the Constitutional Convention with you. Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

尊敬的行政長官董建華先生敬啟者：

《民主動力》認為 閣下第二任內的其中一項重要工作，就是檢討本港現行的政治體制，讓全體香港市民盡早享有普及而平等而充分的選舉和被選舉權利。這是特區政府不能推卸的責任。

根據《香港特別行政區基本法》(下稱《基本法》)第四十五條規定：「行政長官的產生辦法根據香港特別行政區的實際情況和循序漸進的原則而規定，最終達致由一個有廣泛代表性的提名委員會按民主程序提名後普選產生的目標。」《基本法》的第六十八條亦同時承諾：「立法會的產生辦法根據香港特別行政區的實際情況和循序漸進的原則而規定，最終達致全部議員由普選產生的目標。」

再者，《基本法》第三十九條保證「《公民權利和政治權利國際公約》、《經濟、社會與文化權利的國際公約》和國際勞工公約適用於香港的有關規定繼續有效，通過香港特別行政區的法律予以實施。」

為實踐《基本法》承諾的目標，《民主動力》誠意向特區政府建議盡早召開一個具有廣泛代表性的制憲會議，包括各個政黨、各個界別的代表，以及國內外的專家和學者，檢討本港現行的政治體制和選舉制度，以期能訂定一個合理的時間表，使二零零七年以後各任行政長官的產生辦法和立法會的產生辦法，能盡早實現《基本法》承諾的理想目標。

《民主動力》深信這是本港市民的基本民主訴求。近年眾多的民意調查均顯示約百分之七十的市民支持行政長官由普選產生，支持及全體立法會議員均由普選產生。

《民主動力》樂意與 閣下討論本會建議的細節，亦期待 閣下早日答賜覆為荷。

謹祝此致

長安！行政長官董建華先生

《民主動力》執委會召集人鄭宇碩 《香港民主促進會》副主席高德禮 謹啟

二零零二年七月二十五日