The Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Bureau will consult the public on the 2012 electoral arrangements this year. It urges  political parties to issue their views and work together with the Government to build consensus.

In response to a bicycle parade today, the bureau said while the National People's Congress Standing Committee's decision clarified universal suffrage will not be implemented in 2012, there is room to make the elections for the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council in 2012 more democratic.

As the timetable for universal suffrage has been set, the community will expect political parties to cooperate and work together with the Government to roll forward Hong Kong's electoral system to a mid-way point in 2012, to attain universal suffrage for the Chief Executive's election in 2017 and the Legislative Council in 2020.

The bureau urges all parties to bring an end to unnecessary contention, and to move towards building consensus for the electoral arrangements in 2012.