Beijing is sincere about universal suffrage in 2017, says CY Leung

The central government "sincerely" hopes to see Hong Kong elect its chief executive in 2017 by universal suffrage, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said yesterday after meeting a top Beijing official.

But head of Hong Kong affairs Zhang Dejiang reiterated the long-standing conditions: it must comply with the Basic Law and the NPC Standing Committee's rulings, Leung said.

"Zhang explicitly said the central government sincerely hopes Hong Kong could achieve universal suffrage in the election of the chief executive in 2017 in accordance with the Basic Law and relevant interpretations and decisions of the NPC Standing Committee," the chief executive told journalists in Beijing.

The significance of the word "sincerely" was downplayed by one veteran China-watcher, while a leading pan-democrat said Beijing could best show its sincerity by its actions.

Apart from Zhang, chairman of the National People's Congress and No 3 on the seven-man Politburo Standing Committee, Leung also met Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office director Wang Guangya .

Political commentator Johnny Lau Yui-siu said Zhang and Leung might not have gone into details of the political reform and Zhang's remark did not have great significance. "The practical issues are left to policy officials such as [secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs] Raymond Tam Chi-yuen," he said.

Civic Party lawmaker Ronny Tong Ka-wah said the recent debate on political reform had given an impression that the 2017 election might be subject to a screening mechanism and that genuine universal suffrage might not be realised.