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Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, at a media session before a meeting of the Executive Council today (November 5):
Reporter: Mr Leung, can you explain what the four categories are, and if HKTV, were they actually last in any of the categories? Even if you can't say it, then what's the reason and what are the four categories?
Chief Executive: We will release the statement later on today, and there will be an English version. I don't want to deviate from the official words. I do not have the English speaking notes with me, so if you bear with us for few more hours, we will say whatever we can say under the existing system which has been around for a long time. And the system places the responsibility ultimately on the Executive Council. And this is a system that's been around for a long time; it's not a system designed by the present-term Government. We have to respect the system. I will tell the community and also through the media to community, and also face-to-face with the LegCo members, whatever we can say.
Reporter: Can you talk about the four categories?
Chief Executive: Let's put it on record. In the past three weeks, we have talked about the four categories time and again. The experience we had in the past three weeks is that we've been telling the community and LegCo members, and sometimes through the media, whatever we can say under the existing system. But, surprisingly, many of the things including the four categories that you asked about have not been communicated to every member of this community. So we will keep talking. There is no question of Government hiding anything. And as I said again time and again, we follow the existing system, the legislation which is the Broadcasting Ordinance. We follow existing and pre-existing government policies. And we respect procedural fairness and justice. And every step of the way, again we said it many times before, every step of the way we took legal advice, not just from Senior Counsels in Hong Kong, but also from Queen's Counsel in London. Now, all these have been said. What we try to achieve today is again to say whatever we can say within and under the existing systems, and also to put what we have said in the last three weeks together, so that the community could take an overall look at the basis and the reasons for the decision. Thank you.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Issued at HKT 12:20
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