Making progress: Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Stephen Lam and Central Policy Unit Head Professor Lau Siu-kai discuss the Commission on Strategic Development meeting on universal suffrage for the Chief Executive.

Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Stephen Lam says the Commission on Strategic Development has begun to narrow the differences in political views regarding the implementation of universal suffrage for the Chief Executive.

Speaking after the second workshop on possible models for the Chief Executive election held by the commission today, Mr Lam said 17 members attended. Most accepted that there should be a nomination committee. The size proposed ranged from 60 members to 1,600, while the threshold for securing a nomination ranged from one-eighth to one-quarter of the committee.

Mr Lam said many attendees supported the adoption of a gradual and orderly progress for implementing universal suffrage for the Chief Executive.

"There are suggestions that we can adopt a higher threshold for nomination at the initial stage and then consider lowering the threshold a few years later."

Noting the Government will continue to hold workshops and meet think-tanks to discuss the possible election models, Mr Lam said all proposals must comply with the Basic Law.

Central Policy Unit Head Professor Lau Siu-kai said most of the attendants agreed that the Government should enhance the nomination committee's representation and there should be more than one candidate to run in the election. However, attendants have different views on how to ensure the elected candidate is accepted by the Central Government, he added.