Hong Kong's four major industrial groups said Wednesday that the Fifth Report of the Constitutional Development Task Force epitomizes the spirit of " balanced participation" and gives full effect to the principle of "proceeding in a gradual and orderly way."

Chairman of Federation of Hong Kong Industries Kenneth Ting said that to increase the number of Election Committee members and the number of LegCo seats will let Hong Kong residents have more political participation, which will contribute to a better governance and a more harmonious society.

"The package of proposals is feasible," Ting said, calling on all sectors of Hong Kong community to accept the proposals by focusing on the community's overall interests and putting their own preconceptions and differences on one side.

Ting said both elected and appointed District Council members have their respective advantages and can play a complementary role in pushing forward regional development, so they should enjoy an equal footing in Hong Kong's constitutional frameworks.

President of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce Ian Fok said the proposed package responds to the social request for democratic development and accords with the principle of reforming methods for selecting the Chief Executive and for forming the Legislative Council "in a gradual and orderly way" stipulated by the Basic Law. It will greatly enhance the democratic representation in the two electoral methods and help achieve the ultimate aim of universal suffrage.

The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce also welcomed the steps announced in the report. "To give the people of Hong Kong more voice in governing the Special Administrative Region is good for governance and can result in better policies, many of which are key to maintaining Hong Kong's economic competitiveness," Chamber CEO Eden Y Woon said. He believed that the modest adjustments proposed for 2007/08 are steps in the right direction.

The president of the Chinese Manufacturer's Association of Hong Kong, Jose Sunsay Yu, said the association fully understands that the government had to strike balance between the views and demands of different sectors while doing the constitutional development report, so it will give a full support to the proposals.

He believed that the package proposals can provide more room and opportunities for the public to participate in the elections of the Chief Executive and LegCo, broaden the representatives of the two electoral methods and take forward ultimate aim of universal suffrage.

Source: Xinhua