Tiananmen vigil activist on trial says one-party rule contradicts country’s constitution

2026.03.17 10:50 Former lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan stands accused of subversion over calls to end China’s “one-party dictatorship”. Photo: Winson Wong A former Hong Kong opposition politician has accused China’s one-party rule system of being incompatible with the country’s constitution and failing to safeguard people’s fundamental rights, as he defended his calls to end “dictatorship” in a high-profile subversion trial. Ex-lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan, former chairman of the now-disbanded Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, argued on Tuesday that calling for an end to “one-party dictatorship” on the mainland did not mean ousting the Chinese Communist Party from its leading role under the state’s constitutional framework. “The Communist Party can hold power, but the people should be able to choose their government,” he said on the first day of his oral testimony at West Kowloon Court. Lee also suggested that one-party rule contradicted the constitution’s preamble, which provides for “multiparty cooperation and political consultation” under the party’s leadership. “It is our wish that by ending one-party dictatorship, people can fully exercise their rights under the constitution,” he added. The 69-year-old defendant took the witness box after three High Court judges, who were designated by the city leader to oversee national security proceedings, ruled that he had a case to answer on a count of inciting subversion. The offence carries a maximum jail sentence of 10 years under the Beijing-imposed national security law. Prosecutors alleged that Lee and former vice-chairwoman Chow Hang-tung, 41, persisted in promoting an end to “one-party dictatorship” – among the alliance’s five operational objectives – from July 2020 until the organisation’s dissolution in September 2021. Lee and Chow pleaded not guilty, as did the alliance, which is represented by a senior counsel appointed by the official receiver. A fourth defendant, former vice-chairman

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