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Transcript of remarks by CE at media session (with video)
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     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, at the question-and-answer session of the media session at the ground floor lobby of the Office of the Chief Executive at Tamar today (June 18):

Reporter: Do you see this veto as any kind of a failure on either your part or your Government? Point number one. And secondly, do you think it closes the door on future communication between the pan-democrats and Beijing?

Chief Executive: Well, we tried our very best and actually we have been trying very hard to provide all kinds of opportunities for all members, including, of course, the pan-democrats, to have constructive dialogues with the Central Authorities in Beijing. But as we can all see in the past 20 months, including the four events that we had provided before the Decision on the 31st of August was made by the NPC (National People's Congress) Standing Committee (NPCSC), not all members of the pan-democratic camp actually rose to the opportunities. But nonetheless, going forward we shall continue to provide such opportunities as and when they are likely to be constructive.

     On the question of the efforts on my part, on the part of my team, again it is clear and beyond doubt to members of the community that the Hong Kong Government had tried its very best. Two-thirds majority, a super-majority, is a high threshold. This is as close as we could get to a two-thirds majority, and I think the responsibility is very much on those members who voted against the Government's motion and therefore denying 5 million eligible voters of their democratic rights.

Reporter: ... Central Government will have less trust for the SAR Government and for Hong Kong in general? And you mentioned that you're extremely disappointed with the result. Are you also a little bit disappointed, maybe, towards pro-establishment lawmakers for what they did?

Chief Executive: I think you'll hear from the Central Government about how they see the vote today. On the question of the result, as I said in my opening remarks, of course we are disappointed at the fact that 28 members, which is a minority amongst the 69 or 70 in LegCo, voted against the majority view of the Hong Kong people. The majority view is very clear over the past 20 months. People want to have universal suffrage, they want to exercise their democratic right to elect the Chief Executive in 2017, and that's been very clear in the various polls conducted, including polls conducted in the past couple of weeks. So of course we are disappointed.

     On the question of the relationship between the Central Authorities and the pan-democrats in Hong Kong, Hong Kong Government as in the past will do whatever it can to create opportunities for constructive dialogue between the pan-democrats and other members of the political community in Hong Kong and the Central Authorities in Beijing.

Reporter: Mr Leung, do you have any plans on how to satisfy aspirations for democracy among the people of Hong Kong? Do you still have any plans to satisfy that?

Chief Executive: The democratic aspiration of the Hong Kong people is a legitimate aspiration, but this aspiration can only be satisfied in accordance with the provisions of the Basic Law and the Decision of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, and therefore I appeal to members of the pan-democratic camp not to mislead the Hong Kong people any further into thinking that democratic aspirations in Hong Kong, particularly amongst their followers, could be satisfied or accomplished by ignoring provisions of the Basic Law and Decisions of the NPCSC.

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

Ends/Thursday, June 18, 2015
Issued at HKT 18:38

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