The time is not right for Hong Kong to elect the chief executive and the legislature by universal suffrage in 2007 and 2008, Priscilla Lau, a deputy to the National People's Congress, said yesterday.

The reason is political parties and people in Hong Kong are not mature enough, she said, citing the example of the recent District Council elections.

"Many voters adopted a 'negative approach' by hoping to kick out candidates they did not like instead of voting for people they liked," she told the City Forum.

Fellow speaker Liberal Party Vice-Chairman Selina Chow asked the "pro-democracy camp" not to jump to the conclusion too quickly that the chief executive and the legislature would be elected by universal suffrage.

She added that in other countries, elections of presidents and prime ministers were always preceded by nominations, which cannot be said to be undemocratic.

But she agreed with City University political scientist Joseph Cheng that the SAR government should consult the public widely on political review.

"The government has a duty to publish a green paper as soon as possible, listing out all the options and providing ways for the people to give their opinions," Cheng suggested.

But Albert Ho, Democratic Party vice-chairman defended the District Council election results as rational.

"It was the decision of the voters even though they voted for candidates whom they did not know."

On the question of political reform, he said he was aware of the Basic Law requirements and that the central government had a role to play.

He hoped the central government would give greater flexibility for Hong Kong people to arrive at a consensus.

Tam Yiu-chung, vice-chairman of the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB), said an in-depth review was necessary.

There are voices for quicker pace of democratization but there are also worries that it is going too fast, he noted.

The DAB suggested the SAR government convene a roundtable discussion among different people and political groups.

"It would be easier for the central government to consider the issue if there is a consensus among the people," said Tam, a former member of the Basic Law Drafting Committee.

Regarding amendment of election methods as stated in the Basic Law, Priscilla Lau urged the SAR government to also consult the Basic Law Committee, which she thought could reflect the views of the central government.

(China Daily HK Edition December 8, 2003)