Hours after a dramatic veto of its controversial electoral plans by Hong Kong's lawmakers, China today stuck to its decision to vet candidates for the 2017 Chief Executive post in the former British colony.
"Although the universal suffrage motion was not passed at the Legislative Council, the direction towards universal suffrage and the legal principles laid down in the decision of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, must continue to be upheld in future efforts to pursue universal suffrage," an NPC statement said here.
"The decision shall continue to serve as the constitutional ground for Hong Kong in the future as it enforces universal suffrage in the chief executive election, and its legal force is unquestionable," it said, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Legislators in Hong Kong today voted against the Beijing-backed election reforms package that had sparked mass protests last year.
The reforms were to give Hong Kong the right to vote for its leader for the first time in 2017 with a rider that candidates to contest the elections would be vetted by a pro-Beijing committee which was staunchly opposed by pro-democracy activists who labelled it as "fake democracy".
The NPC decision in August last year to screen candidates for the next leadership election through a committee sparked protests that drew more than a lakh people to the streets.
Today's vote means Hong Kong's next chief executive could be selected, as before, by a 1,200-member committee currently stacked with Beijing loyalists, BBC reported from Hong Kong.
Earlier, pro-Beijing lawmakers walked out of the council chamber moments before the vote was to take place.
The 37 lawmakers left voted and the motion was rejected with 28 opposing it and eight supporting it. It needed at least 47 votes to pass.
The outcome was expected, but the circumstances were surprisingly dramatic.
It is regarded as the first major setback for China in Hong Kong after it became a specially-administered territory of China in 1997.
Tension prevailed at the Hong Kong Legislative Council when it headed for the vote today.
When the bell rang, reminding lawmakers to gather to vote a voice called out, asking to halt the proceedings with just minutes to spare.
The head of the council declined after which the eight pro-government legislators walked out in protest following which the controversial government reform plan failed by a wide margin.
