My Take | Ultimate aim of universal suffrage seems further away than ever
Jail terms over a subversion plot are a tragic end to what was hoped would be the city’s political development. But it should be revisited in the future
The inclusion of the words “universal suffrage” in the law providing for Hong Kong’s return to China in 1997 raised hopes and expectations for the city’s political development.
This “ultimate aim” might have been the crowning achievement of the “one country, two systems” concept, a progressive development highlighting Hong Kong’s differences to mainland China.
Sadly, after many twists and turns, progress faltered. Last week, the story came to a tragic end, with the jailing of 45 opposition figures over a plot to subvert state power.
The conspiracy involved an unofficial “primary” to select candidates for Legislative Council polls in 2020. But it went further than that. The aim was to win a majority and blindly veto the government’s budget, forcing the resignation of the chief executive.
The candidates had hopes of success, riding a wave of public opinion following anti-government civil unrest the previous year.
But the political landscape was changing. A national security law was passed by Beijing 11 days before the “primary”. The government warned the poll might breach the new legislation.
The plot did not involve violence and had little chance of success. But the court saw it as a serious threat to the city. “Had the scheme been carried out to the very end, the adverse consequences would be far-reaching and no less serious than overthrowing the government,” the three judges said.
