The Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau published the "Green Paper on Constitutional Development" on 11 July 2007 to consult the public widely on the models, roadmap and timetable for implementing universal suffrage for the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council. The public consultation lasted three months, and was concluded on 10 October.

During the public consultation, we consulted the community widely and systematically through a variety of channels to gauge feedback on the Green Paper from among the Legislative Council, District Councils, organizations and individuals of different sectors of society, as well as members of the public. During the public consultation, we received views reflected through about 18200 written submissions, as well as more than 150000 signatures.

We have consolidated the views collected during the public consultation, and published the "Report on the Public Consultation on Green Paper on Constitutional Development" on 12 December 2007. The Chief Executive has fulfilled his electoral promise: he submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) on the same day a report to reflect fully and faithfully the community's views on the issue of universal suffrage, and has requested, in accordance with the NPCSC's Interpretation of Annex I and Annex II to the Basic Law, the NPCSC to confirm that the methods for selecting the Chief Executive and for forming the Legislative Council in 2012 may be amended. The Chief Executive's report to the NPCSC has also been published. The two reports are available at District Offices. They have also been uploaded onto the Green Paper website : www.cmab-gpcd.gov.hk.

Having considered the Report submitted by the Chief Executive, NPCSC adopted a Decision on 29 December 2007 making it clear that the election of the HKSAR Chief Executive in 2017 may be implemented by the method of universal suffrage, and that after the Chief Executive is selected by universal suffrage, the election of the Legislative Council may also be implemented by the method of electing all the members by universal suffrage. Moreover, the Decision has also provided that appropriate amendments conforming to the principle of gradual and orderly progress may be made to the two electoral methods for 2012.

The Chief Executive has appointed the Task Group on Constitutional Development under the Commission on Strategic Development (CSD) to study the feasible options for electing the Chief Executive and for forming the Legislative Council in 2012, within the framework set out by NPCSC, with a view to laying a solid foundation for attaining universal suffrage for the Chief Executive in 2017 and for the Legislative Council in 2020. The task group has concluded discussions on the two electoral methods for 2012 on 27 June 2008, and the relevant papers have been uploaded onto CSD's website (http://www.cpu.gov.hk/english/2007_csd_tg.htm) for public information. The HKSAR Government will decide, in the fourth quarter of this year, when to consult the public on the two electoral methods for 2012. The public consultation will be undertaken as soon as possible.

HKSAR Government is determined to roll forward Hong Kong's constitutional development. We sincerely hope that different quarters of our community can keep an open mind and be accommodating. It is only through rational and pragmatic public discourse that we can forge consensus on the constitutional development of Hong Kong.

Useful Information

• The First to Fifth Report of the Constitutional Development Task Force
• Interpretation by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of Article 7 of Annex 1 and Article III of Annex 2 to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples' Republic of China (6 April 2004)
• Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on issues relating to the methods for selecting the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the year 2007 and for forming the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the year 2008 (26 April 2004)
• The Explanations on the Draft Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Issues Relating to the Methods for Selecting the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and for Forming the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the Year 2012 and on Issues Relating to Universal Suffrage (26 December 2007)
• Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Issues Relating to the Methods for Selecting the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and for Forming the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the Year 2012 and on Issues Relating to Universal Suffrage (29 December 2007)