BEIJING -- Tam Yiu-chung, a pro-Beijing heavyweight in Hong Kong and a member of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, said Saturday that an overhaul of Hong Kong's electoral system is aimed at allowing only "patriots" to run for public office.
The city's electoral reform will be deliberated at China's national legislature, which is currently in session.
Beijing, which regards pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong as "anti-China forces," is calling for "Hong Kong's governance by patriots." To that end, China has made clear its stance to exclude pro-democracy forces from elections for Hong Kong's chief executive and Legislative Council.
Asked if people in Hong Kong besides "patriots" will be barred from running for these elections, Tam told The Yomiuri Shimbun and other news outlets, "In principle, that's what will happen."
He added, "We hope to complete the process [of reviewing the system] by the end of this year."
Tam said that if the overhaul cannot be carried out before a Legislative Council election in September, the election could be postponed.
After the electoral system is overhauled, a screening body will be newly established to determine the eligibility of candidates. As screening criteria, Tam said candidates must uphold Hong Kong's Basic Law, which is equivalent to the city's Constitution, in addition to being "patriots."
He also stated his understanding that if aspiring candidates criticize the Chinese Communist Party with an eye on overthrowing it, they will not be allowed to run for elections.
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