CONFIDENTIAL
4. WHEN ASKED BY REPORTERS WHY THE OFFICE-BEARERS WERE NOT ELECTED AMONG THE 19 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AS STIPULATED IN THE BLCC CONSTITUTION, Y.K. PAO SAID NONE OF THE 19 MEMBERS OBJECTED TO THE PROPOSED LIST. AN EXECUTIVE OF THE BLCC PREPARATORY OFFICE,
MR.
SIU SIN-BOR, TOLD THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL THAT THE CONSTITUTION DID NOT SAY THAT PEOPLE SHOULD NOT PROPOSE CANDIDATES TO BECOME OFFICE BEARERS. OVER THE WEEKEND, JUSTICE T.L, YANG TOLD A SING PAO REPORTER THAT THE LIST OF NAMES DID NOT COME AS A SURPRISE TO HIM AND THEREFORE HE IMMEDIATELY GAVE HIS SUPPORT. HE ADDED THAT AS THE LIST WAS AGREED BY ALL 19 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, IT COULD BE REPORTED AS THE OUTCOME OF A FORM OF MUTUAL ELECTION.
THIS WAS ALSO THE ARGUMENT OF XU JFATUN, Y.K. PAO AND MAO JUNNIAN WHEN THEY WERE ASKED BY THE PRESS ABOUT THE ELECTION. AMONG THOSE WHO SUPPORTED THE LIST, BLCC MEMBERS CHENG YU-TUNG AND REV. LOUIS HA SAID THE ELECTION PROCEDURES WERE GOOD AND THE ELECTED MEMBERS REPRESENTED A WIDE CROSS SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY.
5. AT THE SAME TIME, THE METHOD OF SELECTION ATTRACTED WIDESPREAD CRITICISM SOME OF WHICH INFERRED THAT THE NCNA HAD EXERTED UNDUE INFLUENCE IN THE PROCESS. BLDC MEMBERS MARTIN LEE, LIU YIU-CHU AND SZETO WAH SAID THAT THE SELECTION METHOD WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL, WHILE JUSTICE SIMON L AND MARHA TAM RESERVED THEIR COMMENTS. BOTH MARTIN LEE AND LHU YU-CHU SAID THAT THE 19 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS SHOULD MEET AGAIN TO RE-ELECT THE OFFICE BEARERS. LEE ADDEDD THAT IF NO COMPROMISE COULD BE REACHED, THE CASE COULD BE TAKEN TO
VICE-CHAIRMAN COURT FOR ADJUDICATION. ON 9 DECEMBER, BLCC
LEE KAI-MING SAID IT WAS MAINLY THE ELECTION PROCEDURE RATHER THAN THE NAME LIST OF THE OFFICE-BEARERS THAT HAD BEEN CRITICIZED. IF THE 19 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS STILL AGREED WITH THE SAME LIST, THEY COULD GO THROUGH THE ELECTION PROCEDURE AGAIN TO GIVE RECOGNITION TO THE LIST. BUT IF THERE WAS OBJECTION TO THE CHOICE, A RE-ELECTION COULD BE HELD, HE SAID. BLCC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER DENIS CHANG WAS FIRM IN SUPPORTING RE-ELECTION. HE SAID HE HAD WRITTEN TO THE BLCC PROPOSING THAT THE METHOD OF CHOOSING THE OFFICE-BERERS BE DISCUSSED AT THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE'S FIRST MEETING ON 11 DECEMBER.
6. OTHER BLCC MEMBERS ALSO SPOKE OUT AGAINST THE SELECTION PROCEDURES ADOPTED. BLCC MEMBER CHANG KA-MUN SAID THE FOUR PLDC VICE-CHAIRMEN IN HONG KONG HAD NO POWER TO NOMINATE A LIST OF OFF ICE-BEARERS. ANOTHER BLCC MEMBER, LAU NAI-KEUNG OF MEETING POINT,
THE PROCEDURE SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE LIST ITSELF WAS ACCEPTABLE,
WAS NOT. HE SAID THE INCIDENT UNDERMINED THE PRESTIGE AND INDEPENDENCE OF THE BLCC AND DEALT A BLOW TO PUBLIC CONFIDENCE. ALSO CALLING FOR RE-ELECTION WERE THE THREE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE HONG KONG LAW SOCIETY ON THE BLCC, CHAIRMAN OF THE HK AFFAIRS SOCIETY MR. HUANG CHEN-YAN AND THE HK UNIVERSITY STUDENT UNION'S CURRENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
CONFIDENTIAL
17
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.