Gov't refutes US report

November 21, 2013

The Government is committed to attaining universal suffrage for the Chief Executive's selection in 2017, it reiterated in a statement in response to media enquiries on the United States-China Economic & Security Review Commission 20113 Annual Report. 
 
It cannot agree with the report's conclusion that Hong Kong's prospects for universal suffrage by 2017 are dimming, the statement said.
 
Hong Kong's constitutional development according to the Basic Law is the city's internal affair, it added, and it hopes foreign governments and legislatures will respect this principle.
 
To successfully implement the Chief Executive's election by universal suffrage in 2017 is the common aspiration of the Central People's Government, Hong Kong Government and Hong Kong people, the statement said.
 
“The current-term HKSAR Government is committed to attaining universal suffrage for the selection of the CE in 2017, strictly in accordance with the Basic Law and relevant Interpretations and Decisions of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. We will launch public consultation for the methods for selecting the CE in 2017 and for forming the Legislative Council in 2016 in December this year,” it stated.