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Following is the transcript (English portion) of the questions and answers of a meet-the-media session by the Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, on the decision by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress today (December 29):
Reporter: There is no change in the ratio for the direct elected seats and also the functional seats in the Legislative Council seats in 2012. But then you said universal suffrage for Legislative Council was possible for 2020. How is that going to work if there is no progress made in 2012?
Chief Executive: There will be progress. Within the framework of the decision by the NPC Standing Committee we are able to move forward and introduce more democratic elements in our electoral arrangements, both for the election of the Chief Executive and for the legislature. As far as the legislature election is concerned, there will be a further election taking place in 2016. I am sure further progress will be made. For our own purpose, it should be our aim and our goal to ensure that universal suffrage will take place for the Chief Executive in 2017 and for the legislature in 2020. This would be our goal. Meanwhile, we should work on the best electoral arrangement for 2012. This is the best way to handle the situation. This is what Hong Kong people hope that we should do and it is, as I said, a responsible way of dealing with our own status as Legislative Councillors or as members of the Executive as far as the Hong Kong constitutional history is concerned.
Reporter: You have stressed several times that you won't have universal suffrage for CE and Legco (Legislative Council), but will you ensure the right to people to be elected, whether it's for the CE or in the Legislative Chambers. You know that everyone gets one man, one vote, that everyone has the right to be elected as well.
Chief Executive: Any electoral arrangement for universal suffrage is not the dictate of any person. It will have to be agreed to by the Hong Kong people. It will be done in a most transparent manner. Such an arrangement will have to pass the Legislative Council itself and requires the endorsement of two-thirds of our Legislative Council membership. And I am sure that any such arrangement will be a fair and open one, giving everybody a chance to participate, to vote and to be elected.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Saturday, December 29, 2007
Issued at HKT 13:14
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