Statement by @OCLPHK on Beijing's Election Framework for Hong Kong

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31.8.2014 Press Release by Occupy Central with Love and Peace
[ Official statement of Occupy Central with Love and Peace in response to the decision of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee on Hong Kong's constitutional reform ]
We express our deepest regret over today's decision of the NPC Standing Committee to set an extremely narrow framework for the 2017 Chief Executive election. The framework stifles genuine universal suffrage and renders the second-round constitutional reform consultation by the HKSAR government a farce.
Genuine universal suffrage includes both the rights to elect and to be elected. The decision of the NPC Standing Committee has deprived people with different political views of the right to run for election and be elected by imposing unreasonable restrictions, thereby perpetuating "handpicked politics”. Such a vision for the electoral system will not resolve the controversies about universal suffrage over the years, nor will it be passed by the Legislative Council. The failure of this constitutional reform has dashed people’s hopes for change and will intensify conflicts in the society. The central government must be held fully responsible for this.
Besides killing universal suffrage, the NPCSC decision also deals a heavy blow to the concept of "one country, two systems". Its concrete decision at just the second step of the Five-step Process of Constitutional Development has effectively closed the door to universal suffrage, degraded the constitutional role of the HKSAR Government, and rendered the second-round HKSAR consultation meaningless. If Hong Kong people keep silent about the stance that "one country prevails over two systems", both "one country, two systems" and "high degree of autonomy" will die.
On one hand, Beijing has said that most pan-democrats and Hong Kong people love the country and Hong Kong. On the other hand, it is afraid that a Chief Executive who threatens national security will be elected if Hong Kong people are allowed to choose freely. Such conflicting views reflect the "devil" at the heart of the central government -- its fear of the people! Instead of trying to gain the trust of the people, something governments have always had to do, our central government is now afraid of the people and has lost their trust.
OCLP has considered occupying Central only as the last resort, an action to be taken only if all chances of dialogue have been exhausted and there is no other choice. We are very sorry to say that today all chances of dialogue have been exhausted and the occupation of Central will definitely happen.
In order to maintain our dignity, we must express our strong dissatisfaction over Beijing breaking its promise and its disregard for Hong Kong people's welfare. We will stick to the use of nonviolent direct action, for we cannot afford to lose the spirit of love and peace even with the loss of constitutional reform.
We urge Legco to vote down this reform proposal and the government to start the constitutional reform process all over again.

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