HK's Tung spurns democracy plea

By Chris Hogg
BBC correspondent in Hong Kong

China has retained the right to choose Tung Chee-hwa's successor

Hong Kong's leader Tung Chee-hwa has told pro-democracy lawmakers he does not have the authority to ask Beijing for direct elections.

Mr Tung met the legislators less than a week after police said 200,000 people held a pro-democracy march in the territory. Organisers said 530,000 attended.

Earlier this year China ruled out direct elections to choose Mr Tung's successor as Chief Executive in 2007.

Many people in Hong Kong feel Beijing has reneged on its promise to give Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy.

The lawmakers met Mr Tung with two main requests.

First they asked him to reassess the demand for direct elections in the territory, after so many people joined the pro-democracy protests last week.

Mr Tung refused, they said, arguing that the situation had not changed - and Beijing had made its decision to rule out universal suffrage very clear.

Then they asked him to write a report to the standing committee of China's parliament, updating them on the situation in Hong Kong following the march.

Again he turned them down. Speaking after the meeting, Mr Tung told reporters he did not have the authority to try to ask the central government to alter its position.

He said he would reflect the democrats' views to his colleagues on the mainland, but he urged them to try to reach a consensus on how to press ahead with the limited democratic reforms which Beijing has indicated it might allow.

These fall far short of what the democrats are asking for. They insist they will continue the fight for full democracy.