Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang will chair the Committee on Governance and Political Development under the Commission on Strategic Development to study the ways to implement universal suffrage in accordance with the Basic Law.

According to a government press release on Friday, Chief Secretary for Administration Rafael Hui made the remarks while attending a meeting of the Southern District Council to hear the views of District Council members on the Fifth Report of the Constitutional Development Task Force.

In response to questions raised by members, Hui said "we needed to study how the composition and operation of the legislature should evolve when reaching the ultimate aim of universal suffrage. "

Hui emphasized that the task of the Constitutional Development Task Force was to deal with the election methods for the election of the Chief Executive in 2007 and the formation of the Legislative Council in 2008 in accordance with the Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress made in April 2004.

He said that the package of proposals in the Fifth Report of the Constitution Development Task Force was made after 18 months of wide consultation, and was definitively a step towards open democracy.

Hui said: "At the present stage, we must first deal with the election methods for 2007/08, and to amend Annexes I and II of the Basic Law early. And then we will continue to move towards the target of universal suffrage".

(Xinhua News Agency November 5, 2005)