Hong Kong rejects China's offer of 'fake democracy'

Hong Kong’s legislature voted not to implement a China-backed election plan Thursday, a victory for democracy activists in the former British colony and the tens of thousands of protesters who flooded the streets late last year.

The plan would have allowed Hong Kong residents to vote for their next chief executive for the first time, but the two or three candidates allowed would be chosen by a committee filled with Beijing loyalists. Opponents decried the plan as “fake universal suffrage” and claimed China is backtracking on its promise to allow direct elections.

After two days of debate, 28 of the 70 members of the Legislative Council voted down the measure, which needed a two-thirds vote to pass. Eight members voted yes, and in a surprising move, 34 pro-Beijing lawmakers walked out immediately before the vote and did not participate. One lawmaker later blamed the move on a “communication gap,” claiming they were waiting for an ill colleague to return to the chamber.

Supporters of the proposal argue that while the plan would not give Hong Kong residents the universal suffrage they want, it was an improvement from the current system, in which the committee picks the leaders without a public vote. If the proposal passed, they argued, the rules could be changed and improved. Now, the democracy reform process is at a standstill, as Beijing has not offered any alternative proposals.

But the pan-democrats refused to approve a plan that would not actually give Hong Kong residents a real choice at the ballot box.

“Let us show the world that we are not fools,” said Claudia Mo, a Hong Kong lawmaker, during the televised debate. “If you want to be true to the words democracy and universal suffrage, ladies and gentlemen, all Hong Kongers, we have no option but to vote against it.”

When Britain returned Hong Kong to China in 1997, China agreed to give Hong Kong autonomy for 50 years in a “one country, two systems” policy before reintegrating with the mainland. The Basic Law, Hong Kong’s de facto constitution, states that the region has the autonomy to pursue democracy however it chooses. But China has since interpreted the Basic Law differently, stressing it has “complete jurisdiction” over Hong Kong.

As for what will happen next, the answer is unclear. Last year, Hong Kong residents hoped sit-ins and protests would change Beijing’s approach, but the government didn’t budge after months in the streets. Student leader Joshua Wong, 18, told CNN he doesn’t plan on holding any more demonstrations in the near future. Instead, he’s preparing for a looming battle in 2047, once China plans to reintegrate Hong Kong. He’s pushing for the right to hold a referendum that would allow Hong Kongers to decide their own future

Despite an uphill battle and a powerful foe, democracy activists are not giving up.

“This isn’t the end of the democracy movement in Hong Kong,” Alan Leong, a pro-democracy legislator, told reporters after the vote. “A new chapter starts today.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.