Milestone development: Chief Executive Donald Tsang meets reporters with Chief Secretary for Administration Henry Tang, Secretary for Justice Wong Yan Lung and Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Stephen Lam on the National People's Congress Standing Committee's decision.

Chief Executive Donald Tsang has hailed the National People's Congress Standing Committee's decision on Hong Kong's political reform, which has made clear the Chief Executive election in 2017 and lawmakers' election in 2020 may be by universal suffrage.

The Standing Committee announced today the election of Hong Kong's Chief Executive in 2017 may be by universal suffrage. After that the election of all Legislative Council members can also be by universal suffrage in 2020.

Meeting the press at the Central Government Offices today Mr Tsang said the committee's decision has set a clear timetable for electing the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council by universal suffrage, a milestone in Hong Kong's constitutional development.

Clear timetable

"In coming to its decision the committee demonstrated clearly the Central Government has attached great importance to the wishes of Hong Kong people," Mr Tsang said.

"The timetable for attaining universal suffrage has been set. Hong Kong is entering a most important chapter in its constitutional history. We should all try to apply fresh thinking to secure implementation of universal suffrage for the Chief Executive first, in 2017, to be followed by that for the Legislative Council in 2020. We must treasure this hard-earned opportunity."

Universal suffrage has been a contentious issue among different political camps in Hong Kong since the 1980s, with diverse views among political parties and within the community.

Mr Tsang said Hong Kong's stability and development will be severely hampered if emotional debate and conflict between political parties drags on.

"I urge everyone, with utmost sincerity, to bring an end to such unnecessary contention, and to move towards reconciliation and consensus. The Standing Committee has taken the most important step for implementing universal suffrage. Now it is up to the people of Hong Kong to take matters forward," he added.

Future work

The Chief Executive will ask the Commission on Strategic Development to consider the most appropriate electoral methods for the elections of the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council in 2012. A task group on constitutional development under the commission will be set up to study this issue.

Mr Tsang expects the task group will convene its first meeting after the Lunar New Year to discuss the two electoral methods for 2012 within the framework set out by the Standing Committee's decision. The discussions may end around mid-2008 and the Government will formulate options for the two elections by the fourth quarter of 2008 and consult the public.

Mr Tsang said: "Our aim is to settle the two electoral methods for 2012 within the tenure of the third-term HKSAR Government. We hope this will lay a solid foundation for attaining universal suffrage for the Chief Executive in 2017, and for the Legislative Council in 2020.

"I pledged during my electoral campaign to resolve the issue of universal suffrage within my current term as Chief Executive. I will continue to apply myself fully to pursuing this goal. But I cannot deliver universal suffrage on my own.

"We should all cherish this opportunity and forge a consensus together in a rational, pragmatic and inclusive manner so the Chief Executive can be elected by universal suffrage in 2017, and the Legislative Council can be elected by universal suffrage in 2020. Only by so doing can we fulfil the aspirations of our citizens, accomplish the mission entrusted to us by our nation and play our responsible part in history."

Far-reaching effect

The Standing Committee today also approved that appropriate amendments may be made to the specific method for selecting the fourth Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive and the specific method for forming the fifth-term Legislative Council in 2012.

The committee decided the two elections in 2012 will not be implemented by universal suffrage. The half-and-half ratio between members returned by functional constituencies and members returned by geographical constituencies through direct elections should stay. Click here to read details of the decision.

National People's Congress Standing Committee Chairman Wu Bangguo said the decision is "far-reaching" for Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.

Mr Wu said the decision will ensure the gradual, progressive and healthy constitutional development in Hong Kong is in line with the Basic Law, while maintaining and promoting the city's prosperity and stability.

Gradual development

Standing Committee Deputy Secretary-General Qiao Xiaoyang said it is necessary, feasible and with adequate legal basis to amend relating regulations of and set a timetable for universal suffrage for Hong Kong's Chief Executive and all lawmakers.

Mr Qiao attended two forums in Hong Kong to explain the committee's decision. He said the methods for selecting the Chief Executive and forming the Legislative Council should be amended in an orderly and gradual way, with the final aim of achieving universal suffrage for both.

Mr Qiao said the decision not to adopt "double" universal suffrage for Chief Executive and Legislative Council elections or universal suffrage for one of them in 2012, but choose to make revisions in an orderly and gradual way, is based on public opinions and is appropriate.

Appropriate revisions to the specific methods for selecting the Chief Executive and for forming the Legislative Council in 2012 can be taken as the intermediate station towards universal suffrage, and will be beneficial to the final achievement of universal suffrage, he added. However, the changes should be made under the precondition of no universal suffrage for both the election of the fourth Chief Executive and the election of the fifth-term Legislative Council in 2012.

On the election of lawmakers returned by functional constituencies, Mr Qiao said this institutional arrangement is in accordance with Hong Kong's real situation, beneficial to all the city's social strata and the balanced political participation of all social circles and the development of a capital economy.

Click here to read Mr Qiao's explanation of the committee's decision.