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In response to media enquiries regarding the remarks made by Legislative Councillor Cyd Ho on RTHK's "Letter to Hong Kong" broadcast today (November 15), a spokesman for the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau said that it was the constitutional responsibility of both the HKSAR Government and the Legislative Council (LegCo) Members to take forward Hong Kong's democratic development in 2012, so as to pave the way for the implementation of universal suffrage in 2017 and 2020. The spokesman also expressed the hope that LegCo Members would not jump to the conclusion that the Government's proposal would not enhance the democratic elements of the electoral system in 2012, even before its introduction.
He reiterated that the HKSAR Government was determined to further democratise the electoral arrangements for 2012.
"With the next Chief Executive (CE) and LegCo elections approaching, we should be, at this stage, focusing on how the two electoral methods for 2012 could be further democratised. It would not be conducive to implementing universal suffrage in 2017 and 2020 if we were to ignore the issue of how to change the 2012 electoral arrangements now," he said.
The spokesman pointed out that, by stating the timetable that the CE may be elected by universal suffrage in 2017 and that all LegCo Members may be elected by universal suffrage in 2020, the Central Authorities had demonstrated the determination to attain universal suffrage for Hong Kong.
The spokesman said that apart from stipulating the universal suffrage timetable, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) in the constitutional decision it made in December 2007 also stated that when universal suffrage was implemented, the CE should be elected in 2017 by all registered electors i.e. by one-person-one-vote.
"We have also made it clear that any universal suffrage model for the LegCo in 2020 should comply with the principles of universal and equal suffrage," he said.
The spokesman said that the Government would soon commence the public consultation exercise on the 2012 electoral arrangements for returning the CE and the LegCo, and would welcome the views of different sectors of the community and different political parties.
"Now that the universal suffrage timetable has been set, we call upon political parties and groups, as well as different quarters of our community to keep an open mind and be accommodating, and to work together with the HKSAR Government towards securing consensus.
"We sincerely hope that LegCo Members will not jump to the conclusion that the Government's proposal would not enhance the democratic elements of the electoral system in 2012 even before it has been introduced," he said.
The spokesman pointed out that both the HKSAR Government and the LegCo Members had the constitutional responsibility to take forward Hong Kong's democratic development in 2012.
He explained that after summarising the views received in the public consultation exercise, the HKSAR Government would present to the LegCo the proposed amendments to Annexes I and II to the Basic Law and strive to obtain the endorsement of the LegCo. The relevant amendments would need to receive the endorsement of the LegCo, obtain the consent of the CE and be reported to the NPCSC for approval or for the record.
The Government hoped that this process could be completed within 2010, the spokesman added.
Ends/Sunday, November 15, 2009
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