CALD Statement No. 2 S. 2014

CALD Statement on the Call for Universal Suffrage and Democratic Electoral System in Hong Kong

The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 21 (3)

The Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) strongly supports the call of the people of Hong Kong for universal suffrage and democratic electoral system. CALD firmly believes that everyone has the right to choose and vote for leaders and representatives in government in free, fair and transparent elections.

The unofficial referendum on universal suffrage organized by the protest group Occupy Central, though of no legal standing, is manifesting the will of the people for genuine political change. The online vote through the website popvote.hk, which started on 20 June, has been extended until 29 June in order to accommodate the increasing clamour for reform. CALD conveys its solidarity with the democratic forces courageously fighting for civil and political rights and working for genuine democracy to take root and flourish in Hong Kong.

CALD is echoing the call of the people of Hong Kong for the government to uphold rule of law and abide by the Basic Law provision which states that the territory’s chief executive should be directly elected in 2017. Beijing has been insisting on having a small 1,200-member nomination committee that will shortlist candidates based on the criteria set by the mainland. CALD believes that this process will not only reverse the democratic gains that the Hong Kong people fought for since the 1997 handover, but also further weaken the territory’s democratic institutions and tighten the grip of Beijing on what is supposedly an autonomous Hong Kong government.

CALD values freedom, respect for human rights, rule of law, and free elections by universal suffrage. These are essential elements that build and sustain a democratic society. In this regard, CALD enjoins China and the international community to respect the fundamental right of the Hong Kong people to chart their own destiny as a nation.