CE's transcript on Committee on Governance and Political Development meeting (with photos)

CE's transcript on Committee on Governance and Political Development meeting (with photos)
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Following is the transcript (English portion) of a media session by the Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, after the first meeting of the Committee on Governance and Political Development of the Commission on Strategic Development today (November 29) at the Main Wing lobby of Central Government Offices:

Reporter: Can we have a précis in English and can you comment on the reports of Mr Qiao Xiaoyang...?

Chief Executive: As regarding the meeting with a senior mainland official, this is an arrangement I requested and I will make an announcement shortly. As regards the meeting today, we have discussed the various papers which you have known the content, and it was a very, very good meeting. I have explained to members I wish to focus on the constitutional development of Hong Kong, particularly what precise arrangement Hong Kong should have under the universal suffrage system. I propose to tackle this subject in two stages. The first stage will be focussing on principles and concepts relating to universal suffrage and that discussion should take place between now and up to the middle of next year at which time I will make some conclusion. That will begin the next stage as well. We will then be discussing the design of the universal suffrage system for the Chief Executive and the legislature. And again I will wish to draw that to a conclusion by the early part of 2007. In other words during my current term, during this term of administration I will wish very much to help the Commission on Strategic Development to focus on this issue and bring these discussions to some new level of conclusion upon which we can build up definitive proposals.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

Ends/Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Issued at HKT 19:09

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