CCTV9英语新闻：基本法律不得随意变更

It took more than five years to compile the Basic Law before it was approved in 1990. According to Tam Yiu-chung, a member of Hong Kong's Legislative¹ Council and one of the Basic Law's original drafters, the document was carefully crafted to stand the test of time, and should not be changed arbitrarily. 

 

Tam was one of the 23 people from Hong Kong, who joined a team of 36 people from the Chinese mainland, tasked with compiling the Basic Law back in 1985. 

 

He believes current problems with the city's political system and social development can still be solved by the Law.

 

Reflecting on memories of the drafting process, Tam said the drafters from the mainland and Hong Kong worked together toward a common goal.

 

"I felt, during the drafting process, we drafters from the two sides, made tremendous progress in exploring ways to cooperate to resolve issues, and realized a smooth transition as historic issues unfolded and evolved," he said.

 

Tam also said there were no major disputes about universal suffrage² when the Basic Law was being drafted. 

 

The 1984 Sino-British Joint³ Declaration stipulated⁴ that the selection of Hong Kong's chief executive should be through consultation⁵ or election. This was realized in the Basic Law through universal suffrage. 

 

However, considering the extreme importance of this position, Tam said, the drafting committee agreed, the chief executive should not be randomly⁶ chosen and should have the approval of the Central Government. Tam added that this selection and approval process is more than just symbolic⁷.

 

Questions have recently come up about how restricted the chief executive selection should be, with some going so far as to propose citizen nominations⁸.

 

But Tam said, when the Basic Law was being drafted, none of the drafters from the mainland or Hong Kong even mentioned "citizen nominations". 

 

He said the only reason this has become a contested issue now, is that some people are intentionally⁹ misleading Hong Kong citizens. 

 

"Some are trying to mislead people in Hong Kong on purpose, and what they really want is to gain what they failed to grasp back in days of drafting the Basic Law. But they will fail because it is not possible to discard what has been written in the law. They should remember that advancing democracy is not about chanting slogans. Concrete things should be done to boost citizens' confidence. And I think it would be too far if someone only pushes democracy to get power and out of fear they can't be elected through the Basic Law," said Tam Yiu-chung, member of HKSAR Basic Law Drafting Committee.

 

Tam explained that the SAR government's range of powers and degree of autonomy are all prescribed in the Basic Law, stressing that although Hong Kong has been afforded a "high degree of autonomy" by the Central Government, it does not equal "absolute autonomy". 

 

Tam said the Basic Law has been a concrete foundation for ruling Hong Kong since the territory was returned to China in 1997. He underscored that there was neither need nor justification¹⁰ now to change the Basic Law.

1 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

2 suffrage   

n.投票，选举权，参政权

参考例句：

• The question of woman suffrage sets them at variance.妇女参政的问题使他们发生争执。
• The voters gave their suffrage to him.投票人都投票选他。

3 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

4 stipulated   

vt.& vi.规定；约定adj.[法]合同规定的

参考例句：

• A delivery date is stipulated in the contract. 合同中规定了交货日期。
• Yes, I think that's what we stipulated. 对呀，我想那是我们所订定的。 来自辞典例句

5 consultation   

n.咨询；商量；商议；会议

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。

6 randomly   

adv.随便地，未加计划地

参考例句：

• Within the hot gas chamber, molecules are moving randomly in all directions. 在灼热的气体燃烧室内，分子在各个方向上作无规运动。 来自辞典例句
• Transformed cells are loosely attached, rounded and randomly oriented. 转化细胞则不大贴壁、圆缩并呈杂乱分布。 来自辞典例句

7 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

8 nominations   

n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nominations are invited for the post of party chairman. 为党主席职位征集候选人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Much coverage surrounded his abortive bids for the 1960,1964, and 1968 Republican Presidential nominations. 许多消息报道都围绕着1960年、1964年和1968年他为争取提名为共和党总统候选人所做努力的失败。 来自辞典例句

9 intentionally   

ad.故意地，有意地

参考例句：

• I didn't say it intentionally. 我是无心说的。
• The local authority ruled that he had made himself intentionally homeless and was therefore not entitled to be rehoused. 当地政府裁定他是有意居无定所，因此没有资格再获得提供住房。

10 justification   

n.正当的理由；辩解的理由

参考例句：

• There's no justification for dividing the company into smaller units. 没有理由把公司划分成小单位。
• In the young there is a justification for this feeling. 在年轻人中有这种感觉是有理由的。