Reform consensus key to moving forward
July 15, 2014
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Chief Executive CY Leung
Today, I have made a report to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the NPCSC, to invite the NPCSC to determine that there is a need to amend the method for selecting the Chief Executive in 2017 in order to attain the aim of universal suffrage, and that Annex II to the Basic Law should not be amended for the method for forming the Legislative Council in 2016.
I have also submitted to the NPCSC the public consultation report on the two electoral methods together with all the appendices to the report compiled by the Task Force on Constitutional Development. The purpose is to reflect comprehensively and truthfully the views received during the consultation period. Both reports are made public in full at the same time.
Today is a historic moment in the constitutional development of Hong Kong. We will be able to take a big stride forward in the democratic development of Hong Kong if we are willing to forge consensus as much as we can and leave behind our differences in a rational and pragmatic manner on the remaining work.
In about two years, over 5 million eligible voters in Hong Kong could directly elect the Chief Executive through "one person, one vote" for the first time in our history.
We are now working towards a very tight timetable. According to the constitutional procedure laid down in Annex I to the Basic Law, amendments to the method for selecting the Chief Executive require passage by a two-thirds majority of all the members of the LegCo, the Chief Executive's consent, and approval by the NPCSC.
The report made by me today represents the first step in kick-starting the constitutional procedures. If the NPCSC makes a determination in August, we expect that another round of public consultation will be launched around the end of this year to collect views on specific proposals on implementing universal suffrage for the Chief Executive election in 2017.
After the conclusion of the public consultation, a number of groups and members of the public still expressed their wishes and aspirations concerning the implementation of universal suffrage for the Chief Executive election in 2017 through different ways and channels.
In particular, regarding the issue of the nominating procedures, there were considerable views expressed after the consultation period through participation in a rally and polling activities held by civic organisations on allowing "civic nomination" in the nomination of CE candidates, et cetera.
At the same time, I sincerely hope that the general public would appreciate that while we should consider different demands, we have to uphold the rule of law and act according to the law. In this respect, we could implement universal suffrage only if we comply with the Basic Law and the relevant interpretation and decisions of the NPCSC.
Chief Executive CY Leung gave these opening remarks at a press conference on the release of constitutional development public consultation reports.
