Dialogues needed to achieve universal suffrage: HK govt

HONG KONG–To achieve the universal suffrage for the chief executive poll and Legislative Council election in Hong Kong, the community needs to engage in dialogues, premised on the legal basis and under a peaceful atmosphere with mutual trust, the Hong Kong government spokesperson said Saturday.

Dialogues should be conducted with a view to narrowing differences and attaining a consensus agreeable to all sides, said the government spokesman in response to the demands related to the city’s political reform mentioned at the assembly held in Tamar Park in the Saturday evening.

Universal suffrage of “one person, one vote” for selecting the chief executive and electing all members of the LegCo is enshrined as an ultimate aim in the Basic Law, the spokesman said.

Article 45 of the Basic Law stipulates that the method for selecting the chief executive shall be specified in the light of the actual situation in Hong Kong and in accordance with the principle of “gradual” and “orderly” progress. The ultimate aim is the selection of the chief executive by universal suffrage upon nomination by a broadly representative nominating committee in accordance with democratic procedures.

The government will assess the situation carefully and take forward constitutional development in accordance with the Basic Law and the relevant Interpretation and Decisions of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the spokesman added.