By Joseph Li and Max Kong (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-12-13 09:26

Tang said half the LegCo members want universal suffrage for the chief executive to be implemented by 2017, in 2017 or after 2017, followed by universal suffrage for LegCo.

More than two-thirds of all District Councils support the implementation of universal suffrage for the chief executive by 2017, in 2017 or after 2017, and universal suffrage for LegCo should follow.

"We hope the community will continue to adopt a pragmatic approach and seek common ground to reach consensus on the early implementation of universal suffrage," he told the legislature.

Tam Yiu-chung, chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said it would be difficult to have dual universal suffrage in 2012.

"Year 2017 is the golden mean as some want a faster pace and some want a slower pace," he said. "It is also easier to first elect the CE by universal suffrage in 2017 and later elect the LegCo as soon as possible."

Liberal Party chairman James Tien said if the CE is to be returned by universal suffrage in 2012, there should be a higher threshold for candidates. Tsang Hin-chi, a Hong Kong member of the NPC Standing Committee, said CE election by universal suffrage no later than 2017 is a pragmatic arrangement.

Having universal suffrage for the chief executive prior to the LegCo fulfilled the wish of most of the Hong Kong people, he added.

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