Hong Kong's constitutional development must be advanced in accordance with the Basic Law.

A leading official of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Hong Kong said this Sunday in an interview with Xinhua. He was responding to legislator Fernando Cheung's proposal that a "referendum" be held on the implementation of universal suffrage for the election of the chief executive in 2007 and formation of the Legislative Council (LegCo) in 2008.

The SAR's Chief Secretary Donald Tsang said last week that the government will not conduct such a referendum, which he described as "not practical".

The official of the liaison office said it agrees with the SAR government's decision and the remarks.

Meanwhile, the SAR government Sunday vowed to continue to promote constitutional development according to the Basic Law and the decision made by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on April 26. A spokesman for the Constitutional Affairs Bureau made the pledge in response to comments made by legislator Kwok Ka-ki on an RTHK radio programme "Letter to Hong Kong".

The government had already commenced public consultation on the methods for the selection of the chief executive in 2007 and formation of LegCo in 2008, the spokesman said.

The Constitutional Development Task Force has outlined nine areas for the public to consider how the two electoral methods could be opened up further. It will publish in its fourth report the public views collected by the year-end for further discussion within the community, the spokesman said.

It is hoped that by mid-2005, a consensus will emerge, and the fifth report could be released to set out a mainstream proposal to facilitate further public discussion.

Once consensus is secured, the government can proceed with the amendment of Annexes I and II of the Basic Law and thereafter deal with local legislation, he explained.

Also Sunday, newly appointed Executive Councillor Bernard Chan criticized the idea of holding a referendum in Hong Kong and called for more communication with Beijing on constitutional development.

Chan made these remarks on a Commercial Radio programme.

Referring to the proposal of a referendum to gauge public opinion on universal suffrage in 2007 and 2008, an idea "pro-democracy" legislators have recently touted, Chan pointed out that the term "referendum" is extremely sensitive. He said it would give rise to an association with the Taiwan situation, which would worry and embarrass the central government.

"What if the central government does not accept (the result of the referendum)? Are we going to push the relationship between the central government and Hong Kong to the extreme?"

Chan said Beijing would not indefinitely delay the pace of constitutional development in the territory. But he pointed out that since the exercise involves a lot of detailed arrangements, it is essential for the SAR to step up communication with Beijing and establish a tacit agreement before hammering out a blueprint agreeable to both sides.

Communicating with the central government does not mean being dictated by it. There is always room for discussion, Chan explained.

"It is very dangerous for us not to consult them and unilaterally conceive a proposal," he stressed.

(China Daily HK Edition October 25, 2004)