Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang said yesterday evening
that the demands of the special administrative region (SAR)'s
citizens for democracy are not in contradiction with the Fifth
Report of the Constitutional Development Task Force.
Speaking at a press conference at Government House, Tsang said
the central government and that of Hong Kong are actively leading
the SAR toward universal suffrage in an orderly and gradual
manner.
"We would not change our commitments to universal suffrage," he
pledged.
He said the Package Proposals for the Methods for Selecting the
Chief Executive in 2007 and for Forming the Legislative Council in
2008 offer a leaping-off point for Hong Kong's democratic
development.
If the proposals are adopted by the Legislative Council later
this month, he said, Hong Kong's democratic development will surely
advance instead of slowing down.
Tsang said the implementation of the package proposals will not
be in contradiction with former proposals for selection methods or
the drafting of a road map and timetable for universal suffrage,
but can coexist with and supplement each other.
Hong Kong citizens took to the streets on Sunday afternoon to
express their discontent with the package proposals, issued by the
SAR government on October 19.
Some bystanders told the press that the most important thing for
Hong Kong was to maintain stability and economic growth.
(Xinhua News Agency December 5, 2005)