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In response to a statement issued by the Mainland Affairs Council in Taiwan regarding the implementation of universal suffrage in Hong Kong, a spokesman for the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau today (December 30) made the following statement:
"Hong Kong's constitutional development is a matter for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Central Authorities to deal with in accordance with the Hong Kong Basic Law. In this, Taiwan has no role.
"In making clear that the Chief Executive may be elected by universal suffrage in 2017, and that all the members of the Legislative Council may be elected by universal suffrage in 2020, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) has made a positive response to the democratic aspirations of the people of Hong Kong within the NPCSC's legal prerogatives. This decision has been welcomed by the HKSAR Government, different political parties, different sectors and the wider community. Henceforth, there is ample room and time for the HKSAR to build consensus on the models for implementing universal suffrage for the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council, in order to roll forward democracy for Hong Kong.
"The decision of the NPCSC has a broad basis in public support. Half of all Legislative Council Members support that universal suffrage for the Chief Executive should be implemented first by no later than 2017, in 2017 or after 2017, and that universal suffrage for Legislative Council should follow thereafter; such motions have been passed in more than two-thirds of all District Councils, about 60 per cent of the public accept implementation of universal suffrage for the Chief Executive in 2017, if this cannot be attained in 2012; more than 150,000 signatures received from the public have indicated support for implementing universal suffrage for the Chief Executive by no later than 2017, in 2017 or after 2017."
Ends/Sunday, December 30, 2007
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