The proposed 2007-08 elections package is grounded on public views gathered by the Constitutional Development Task Force over more than 18 months, the Constitutional Affairs Bureau says. It will do its best to secure Legislative Council and community support on the proposals.

Responding to legislator Emily Lau's Letter to HK broadcast today, the bureau said it regretted she failed to see the significant progress the package will bring Hong Kong.

Under the proposal, of the 1,600 Election Committee members, over 440 (including 400 elected District Council members and 41 Legislative Council Members) will be elected by over three million voters.

In LegCo, all 10 new seats, including five new ones to be returned by geographical constituencies, and five new functional constituency seats to be returned through elections by DC members, will be returned directly or indirectly by over three million citizens. This means that close to 60% of all LegCo seats will be elected this way.

The bureau said the proposals provide more room for the public to participate in the elections and broadens the representativeness of the two electoral methods.

Support measures

The bureau said support measures on many fronts are required for constitutional development to move towards universal suffrage.

The Government will invite people of various backgrounds to join the Governance & Political Development Committee under the Commission on Strategic Development, and to work together in formulating a roadmap for attaining universal suffrage.

Other measures include grooming of political talent, and reviewing the role and functions of the District Councils.

On Ms Lau's comment on Hong Kong's high degree autonomy, the bureau said the One Country, Two Systems formula is being faithfully implemented in accordance with the Basic Law, and there is no basis whatsoever in the allegation that it is being undermined.