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Transcript of remarks by CS at media session (with video)
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     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Carrie Lam, at a media session after attending a meeting of the Legislative Council Panel on Constitutional Affairs at the Legislative Council Complex today (July 21):

Reporter: Mrs Lam, why were pan-democrats not arranged to meet Zhang Dejiang over the weekend and when are they going to be arranged to meet him?

Chief Secretary for Administration: As the CE has said on various occasions, we are very committed to facilitating communications between various sectors with the Central Authorities' officials. But of course it needs two to tango, so I hope that, while we will continue to do this facilitating role, that the pan-democratic members will also express some sincerity in attending these meetings, and we will continue to make every effort to make sure that this sort of meetings could take place.

Reporter: Some legislators have accused you of acting merely as a messenger and not standing up for the will of Hong Kong people. What do you have to say to that?

 Chief Secretary for Administration: Well, I certainly do not agree that we are playing a mere role of a messenger. We are very committed, like the Central Authorities, to achieve universal suffrage in the selection of the Chief Executive in 2017, and that's why, for this purpose, in the next five weeks or so we will continue to meet with various stakeholders. In fact, meetings have been arranged with the various academia groups, with the business chambers, with also the conveners of "Occupy Central", and also this alliance in charge of the recent work to allow people to express their view through signature campaign. So we will continue to do the sort of work which I think will be helpful in trying to narrow the differences and bridge the gap in the various opinions that have been expressed over the arrangements for the selection of the Chief Executive by universal suffrage.

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

Ends/Monday, July 21, 2014
Issued at HKT 19:52

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