It might almost be called the 2007 mantra. Faced with the near-impossible task of trying to justify the massive reduction in the functional constituency franchise for next year's polls, Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Michael Suen Ming-yeung and his colleagues have done their best to divert attention away from this by instead talking optimistically about the prospects for introducing full democracy in 2007.
The millions who will lose their second vote next May are repeatedly told to forget about this and 'look forward' to a decade from now, when Annex 2 of the Basic Law states changes can be made to Hong Kong's political structure. Article 68, which vaguely refers to an 'ultimate goal' of universal suffrage, is cited ad nauseam to create an impression that full democracy will be a sure bet come 2007.
When tackled on this, Mr Suen even suggested that no one could stand in the way if the community decided this was what it wanted a decade from now. Chief Secretary for Administration Anson Chan Fang On-sang went still further, referring to 'the opportunity in 2007 for the community to take a decision on universal suffrage' in her much-criticised speech defending the new electoral arrangements.
Even Tung Chee-hwa has got in on the act, downplaying the significance of functional constituencies by repeatedly depicting them as only an 'interim arrangement' during speeches in the US and London. And the Chief Executive has also made full use of the 2007 mantra in his efforts to defuse foreign criticism of the jerrymandering of next year's polls.
While this may represent a tactically sound strategy for government officials charged with defending the indefensible, the problem is it has raised expectations about what will happen in a decade's time, to the point where they are virtually certain to be disappointed.
For the Basic Law contains no clear statement that functional constituencies are only an interim arrangement which will fade away. Nor does it contain any timetable for the introduction of full democracy. Certainly, it gives no indication this should be put in place in 2007.