HONG KONG April 1 Kyodo (EDS: UPD...

HONG KONG April 1 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH FIGURE, COLOR)

About 3000 populace in Hong Kong staged a candlelight vigil Thursday night to asseverate China's move to impose its concede interpretation on the territory's post-handover Constitution forward democratic reform.

Clad in black with fulvid ribbons on their arms, the advocates of replete democracy in Hong Kong said the Beijing initiative point outs no respect for public opinion in Hong Kong and will harm the high quality of autonomy promised to the former British colony

''Protest against China's trample forward public opinions! Oppose an interpretation of the Basic Law by way of the National People's Congress!'' the protester chanted.

Their demonstration came forward the eve of deliberations from the Standing Committee of the National People's Congres (NPC) China's parliament, upon two provisions of Hong Kong's Basic Law annexes concerning the rules for selecting Hong Kong's chief executive and forming the local legislature after 2007

The NPC standing committee, which will come up to face to face Friday, is expected to announce its interpretations of the clauses at the expiration of its meeting nearest Tuesday, according to Hong Kong newspapers.

The committee, however, has not made public its draft interpretations.

Beijing reportedly aimed to lay an end to the confusion and differences in Hong Kong's understanding of the Basic Law and the ''one nation two systems'' principle amid the escalating tumult over democratization.

further Hong Kong protesters accused Beijing of trying to stall local discussion in succession the territory's electoral reform.

''We are oppos to the NPC standing committee's move'' said Tam Chun-yin, a spokesman for the Civil Human Rights impudence the organizer of Thursday's candlelight vigil and of the 500000-strong antigovernment rally last July 1

''The Hong Kong government's ongoing public consultation is just a game. It is meaningless,'' Tam told Kyodo News

The activist slammed Beijing for not respecting the aspiration of the Hong Kong the public to have direct elections of the chief executive and the whole legislature as early as possible.

Beijing and the conservative camp insist forward a ''gradual'' pace of democratization in Hong Kong to safeguard the interests of various sectors and to maintain the territory's prosperity and stability.

At at hand Hong Kong's chief executive is picked by an 800-member committee. The legislature, meanwhile, will have half of its 60 seats directly picked in the upcoming polls in September, six seats up from the instant tally.

The Basic Law states that the orders for choosing the chief executive and forming the legislature after 2007 can be amended ''if there is a need''

on the contrary it does not say what constitutes a ''need'' who decides whether there is a ne and who can initiate an amendment.

Beijing earlier stated that it has the final say through Hong Kong's political progress to maturity Some pro-Beijing politicians here agree that the initiation of amendments lies with the Chinese authorities.

The pro-democracy camp argues that Hong Kong's legislature can introduce a change.

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong government's task force in charge of political review considers that the city cannot decide alone onward its constitutional reform and that changes related to the political conformation should only be introduced through the administration.

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