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Press Releases

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Government committed to taking forward constitutional development

In response to media enquiries, a Government spokesman made the following statement on the remarks by US Consul General James Cunningham this afternoon (September 20):

"The HKSAR Government is committed to further opening up the methods for selecting the Chief Executive in 2007 and for forming the Legislative Council in 2008, in accordance with the Basic Law and the Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of April 26, 2004.

"We aim at formulating a set of proposals which will enable us to move towards the ultimate aim of universal suffrage in a gradual and orderly manner, and which will enhance public participation in the two electoral methods, and broaden the representativeness of the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council.

"The Constitutional Development Task Force will release its fifth report in the autumn to set out the Government's proposals on how the two electoral methods should be amended."

"We hope that foreign governments will respect the principle that Hong Kong's constitutional development shall be taken forward in accordance with the Basic Law and the NPCSC Decision," the spokesman concluded.

Ends/Tuesday, September 20, 2005