******************************************************
Reporter: You said that the proposal must have a good chance of being considered by the Central Government. Do you feel that it is perhaps jumping the gun that this criteria might discourage certain proposals that Beijing may feel to be more radical than others?
Secretary for Constitutional Affairs: I think so far as we are concerned at this stage the discussion on different models for implementing universal suffrage is still in the formative stage. We welcome proposals of all types. At the same time, we work as hard as we can to narrow differences among different political parties and community groups, so that we stand a better chance of achieving both consensus within Hong Kong community and between Hong Kong and Beijing.
Reporter: … Do you mean to merge all those proposals and then made it into three in future?
Secretary for Constitutional Affairs: I would say that whatever proposals and packages we have received to date and by mid-June we would reflect very faithfully in the context of the Green Paper. But as for what three types of proposals we will present in the Green Paper as possibilities for implementing universal suffrage for the CE and for implementing universal suffrage for the LegCo, we haven't come to a view yet.
Also, the question of merging different proposals, I think, would be more relevant after we have concluded the three-month consultation period, because at that point in time, we would have to see whether there is a possibility and whether there is sufficient foundation, for us to conclude that a main-stream view has emerged among Hong Kong community. That is as far as I can go for today. If I go any further, I would be somehow, somewhat speculating into the future.
Reporter: Mr Lam, I don't think you have answered the question I asked earlier ... , which is your criteria that the proposal would have a good chance of being considered by the Central Government. Do you feel that this is perhaps jumping the gun that setting out this criteria would discourage any proposal that in Beijing's view would be too radical?
Secretary for Constitutional Affairs: Actually the provision is very clear in the Basic Law. Any proposal for amending the electoral methods for returning the CE and for forming the LegCo would have to be endorsed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. Anybody or any particular parties who put forth such proposals would fully recognise that is the constitutional provision in the Basic Law. That provision has been in existence since 1990. Hitherto, it has not stopped any political party from proposing that we should aim to secure early implementation of universal suffrage, both for the CE and for the LegCo. We are just stating what is already in the Basic Law and we are just reminding everybody that aside from securing consensus within Hong Kong community, between Hong Kong and Beijing, we also need to attain consensus.
Reporter: Do you think the proposal act to weed out any such proposal in the consideration?
Secretary for Constitutional Affairs: I think any proposal which stands a good chance of being considered favourably both in Hong Kong and in Beijing is in Hong Kong's interest. I also think that hitherto no political parties, members of the opposition camp included, have been restrained from putting forth any recommendations or packages for implementing universal suffrage. Hong Kong is a free society. It is open. So long as we have a hard working legislature and a free press, this discussion will go on. And I also hope that one day we can conclude the discussions and bring Hong Kong forward in terms of achieving democracy.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion.)
Ends/Thursday, April 12, 2007
Issued at HKT 21:29
NNNN