The head of the Executive Council renewed his call to abolish the functional constituencies yesterday in a closed-door meeting with Democratic Party officials.
Exco convenor Lam Woon-kwong was at pains to stress that he was there in a personal capacity. "I do not represent Exco or anybody. I am not seeking to consult [different parties on political reform] as this was the job of the government. I am here to listen, as a former minister who cares about Hong Kong, and I do not think there are any conflicts."
In June, Lam came out in support of abolishing the functional constituencies in the 2020 universal suffrage election, with two-thirds of the seats to be elected by a simple majority system and the rest by proportional representation.
His remarks have drawn criticism from the trade-based lawmakers, including Exco members, who said Lam's stance did not represent the administration and even Beijing's views.
But Lam restated his position yesterday: "Universal suffrage means there are no functional constituencies. The definition is clear and is not invented by me.
"I hope the forthcoming reform debate will be constructively conducted; people should aim to step forward but also be prepared to compromise as, after all, the reform still requires at least two-thirds of the lawmakers' support," he said.