Constitutional progress disappointing, says British report

Hong Kong's progress in constitutional development has been disappointing, the British government said in a report to Parliament yesterday.

The government maintained that the city must advance to a system of universal suffrage as soon as possible to enhance its stability and prosperity.

Reviewing Hong Kong's progress under mainland rule, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said: 'It remains a regrettable fact that the vast majority of Hong Kong's citizens did not get to vote in the election.'

On the release of the green paper, he said 'constitutional development is one area in which Hong Kong's progress has been disappointing'.

He said he hoped that people would use the consultation to express a clear view on the future and that the government would respond accordingly.

He also congratulated Donald Tsang Yam-kuen and Alan Leong Kah-kit for participating fully in the chief executive elections in March, adding: 'The decade just ended is one worth celebrating. Ten years on, Hong Kong continues to be a success story.'