The prospect of universal suffrage in 2017 will be no more than a "mirage" if huge differences persist and rival camps fail to find common ground, Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor warned yesterday.
Lam acknowledged that the biggest divide was over nomination of chief executive candidates. Central and local government officials insist candidates can only be put forward by a nominating committee similar to the election committee that chose previous chief executives, as specified in the Basic Law. Pan-democrats say such an arrangement could see Beijing's critics screened out.
"Some people advocate public nomination and a three-track system - allowing voters and political parties to make nominations along with the committee," Lam said. "These people do not want any screening of candidates but they have not clearly defined the concept of 'screening'."
Lam said some criticisms from government critics were made out of "idealism" while others were "mere slogans".
"I am worried that, if opinions remain split and people are unwilling to come to terms with political reality by going back to the legal framework laid down by the Basic Law, universal suffrage in 2017 would become a mirage," Lam said. "I am pessimistic but I have not yet lost hope," she added, of the prospects for a deal.