bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Gary Cheung

Hint on universal suffrage by 2017 may secure democrats' support for package

Beijing is likely to 'hint' at the possibility of full democracy by 2017, a move that could close the gap between the government and the democrats over the electoral reform proposal.

According to a source close to Beijing, the hint will be delivered by a state leader in an indirect and vaguely worded verbal statement. It will not give an exact date for the introduction of universal suffrage.

'The central government may hint in vague and indirect wording that there could be a possibility of reaching full democracy by 2017,' the source said, but it would be unrealistic to expect the state leader to give an exact date  in the statement.

The intention had been communicated to some members of the pro-democracy camp, the source said.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post earlier yesterday, Ronny Tong Ka-wah of the Article 45 Concern Group said a verbal indication of universal suffrage no later than 2017 would be a 'main factor' for supporting the government's reform package.

The source also said the hint would be accompanied by a pledge to accept a consensus on universal suffrage by the Hong Kong people.

'The leader may make it clear that the central government would be willing to accept the consensus reached by various sectors in Hong Kong on universal suffrage and pay heed to public opinion in the city.' At the Executive Council meeting yesterday, members of the cabinet discussed what room existed for amending the reform package.

A source close to the government said the executive councillors and top officials exchanged views on the political situation in the wake of the pro-democracy march on Sunday.

'The members explored the possible room for fine-tuning the reform blueprint,' the source said.

It is understood the government is considering limiting the role of appointed district councillors in electing the chief executive in 2007 and six Legislative Council members in 2008. Reducing the number of appointed councillors after the 2007 district council elections could be another possible way to 'perfect' the reform package - a pledge made by Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen on Sunday night.

The source close to the government said Mr Tsang had hinted about making a concession on the role of appointed district councillors when he made a television appeal last Wednesday for public support for the reform proposal.

Mr Tsang said all the 400 directly elected district councillors would be included on the Election Committee that selects the next chief executive, without mentioning the 102 appointed councillors.

Mr Tsang's remarks were echoed last week by Qiao Xiaoyang , deputy secretary-general of the National People's Congress Standing Committee.

Pro-democracy lawmakers have vowed to veto the package without a timetable even if the role of appointed district councillors is reduced.

Executive Councillor Tsang Yok-sing said there was room for change in the number of appointed district councillors. 'But I don't think it would be enough to guarantee the passage of the [reform] bill.'



Beijing overture likely on democracy