But it would not commit itself to a timetable on when the Legislative Council should be returned via universal suffrage, adding that the much-criticised bicameral system should remain an option.

In a submission, the chamber said it was reasonable to expect universal suffrage for the chief executive election no later than 2017 if eight conditions could be met. These include a regulatory framework for political parties, a network of thriving policy think-tanks as well as sufficient representation of the business sector in the political structure.

The chamber agreed that including district councillors could enhance the representation of the nomination committee.

But it said the chamber's 12 seats in the Election Committee, with those of other sectors, should be increased evenly for the sake of 'balanced representation'.

In a submission in October 2004, the chamber acknowledged it was a political reality that 2012 was widely seen as a target date for universal suffrage. But it said it would not be drawn into the debate over the date for full democracy.

On the future of functional constituencies in Legco, the chamber said suggestions to open up the elections to general voters were worth considering only if the candidates were chosen by the constituencies.

It would allow business representation to be partially retained, as the constituencies would have some influence over who was to be elected, the chamber said.

To preserve checks and balances in the legislature, the chamber called for a wider range of options, including the possibility of turning functional constituencies and geographical constituencies into a bicameral system similar to Britain's. 'We remain open to ideas on ensuring balanced representation in Legco, and we maintain our position of not being drawn into a date for full direct elections for Legco,' it said.

However, Anson Chan Fang On-sang and her core group of advisers said there was no valid case to include district councillors in the future nomination committee, saying it would duplicate the representation of directly elected lawmakers.

'We see no particular merit in expanding the overall size of the nomination committee,' the core group said in a submission to the government's consultation on universal suffrage.

But Mrs Chan was adamant that the trade-based elections must be abolished in order to fulfil the equal suffrage principle. The functional constituency members would still enjoy an unfair advantage on who to nominate even if the ballot was open to the entire electorate, the core group said.

Mrs Chan said the nomination of chief executive candidates should be conducive to competition rather than being used as a tool for vetting or eliminating hopefuls. She called for an explanation on how the views received would be assessed, adding that the government should move expeditiously to present the model, roadmap and timetable.

Yesterday, 20 government-friendly groups bombarded constitutional and mainland affairs chief Stephen Lam Sui-lung with more than 100,000 signatures in support of universal suffrage in 2017 or beyond.

So far, more than 4,000 submissions have been received. The consultation closes today.