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| Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang addresses the media on the decision made by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. |
On December 29, Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang welcomed the National People's Congress Standing Committee’s (NPCSC) decision to take forward Hong Kong's political development by setting a clear timetable for electing the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council by universal suffrage.
The decision makes it clear that the election of the Chief Executive in 2017 and the election of all members of the Legislative Council in 2020 may be by universal suffrage.
The timetable was decided having taken into consideration the views of the general public, the legislature, District Councils, non-governmental organizations and other sectors of the community received during public consultations in which a consensus had yet to emerge on dual universal suffrage in 2012.
“The timetable for attaining universal suffrage has been set,” Mr. Tsang said. “Hong Kong is entering a most important chapter in its constitutional history.”
The decision to advance political reform was made after considering the report by the Chief Executive to the NPCSC which summarizes the views received during the three-month public consultation exercise on the models, roadmap and timetable for implementing universal suffrage for the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government is now tasked with considering how to amend the electoral methods for selecting the fourth-term Chief Executive and for forming the fifth-term Legislative Council in 2012. This will enable progress to be made in 2012 for attaining universal suffrage for the Chief Executive in 2017 and the Legislative Council in 2020.
In this regard, Mr. Tsang will ask the Commission on Strategic Development to consider the most appropriate electoral methods. A task group on constitutional development under the Commission will be set up to study the issue.
The HKSAR government will formulate options for the two elections by the fourth quarter of 2008 and consult the public.
"Our aim is to settle the two electoral methods for 2012 within the tenure of the third-term HKSAR government,” Mr. Tsang said. “We hope this will lay a solid foundation for attaining universal suffrage for the Chief Executive in 2017, and for the Legislative Council in 2020.”
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