NPC's decision in long-term interests of HK: Chief Executive

The Chinese National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee's decision on Hong Kong's constitutional development was made with Hong Kong's long-term interests in mind, Chief Executive of the HK Special Administrative Region (SAR) Tung Chee Hwa said in Hong Kong Thursday.

The decision said that the method of universal suffrage shall not be applied to the election of the chief executive of the HKSAR in 2007, nor to the election of all members of the Legislative Council in 2008.

Speaking in a special question-and-answer session in the Legislative Council, Tung noted that NPC Standing Committee has exercised its power in making the decision in light of the actual circumstances of Hong Kong.

He noted that the SAR government welcomed the decision, which formally initiated the amendment process spelled out in the annexes of the Basic Law, and also served as the new basis for the constitutional development of Hong Kong.

As the government proceeds to the next stage of the political reform exercise, a rational and pragmatic approach must be adopted, Tung stressed.

"We have to accept and respect the policy of 'One Country, Two Systems', and we have to understand the limits imposed by the central authorities on our powers. We are given freedoms and powers but there are also limits and restrictions," he added.

Meanwhile, "We've been focusing our attention on political development and as a result other things have been delayed. We should focus on the economy, finding new opportunities for growth," he pointed out.

Since the third quarter of last year, Hong Kong's economy has started to recover and witnessed a big rise in 2003 despite the outbreak of SARS. The economy is gaining momentum and is expected to grow at 6 percent this year, according to Tung.

Source: Xinhua