The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) adopted a decision Monday which favors modification of the existing methods for selecting the Hong Kong's chief executive in 2007 and forming the Legislative Council in 2008, but rules out the possibility of universal suffrage for the upcoming elections.

The decision was made in response to Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa's report on whether such methods need to be amended.

"The method of universal suffrage shall not apply to" the election of the Third Chief Executive of the HKSAR in 2007, nor to the election of all members of the Fourth Legislative Council of the HKSAR in 2008, the Decision said.

The half by half ratio for members of the Council from functional groups and from constituency election shall remain unchanged, the Decision said, adding that the procedures for voting on bills and motions in the Legislative Council shall remain unchanged.

However, the Decision said that specific methods for selecting the Chief Executive in 2007 and forming the Legislative Council in 2008 could be "appropriately modified" in the principle of gradual and orderly progress and in accordance with the Basic Law, the Decision said.

The NPC Standing Committee explained in the decision that Hong Kong's history for democratic election is not long, and it has been for no more than seven years that Hong Kong residents have exercised the democratic rights of participating in selecting the HKSAR Chief Executive.

Since Hong Kong's return to the motherland, the number of directly-elected members in the Legislative Council has been increased remarkably. After half of the members are directly elected in constituency and half are elected by functional groups, the influence of the directly-elected members upon Hong Kong society's general operation, especially the influence upon the executive-led mechanism is yet to be tested by practice, it said.

Moreover, various social circles in Hong Kong currently still have considerable differences about methods for selecting the Chief Executive and for forming the Legislative Council after 2007,and no broad consensus has been reached yet, it noted.

Under such circumstances, conditions do not satisfy the general election of the Chief Executive and the general election of all Legislative Council members, the Decision said.

The NPC Standing Committee said, "it is the consistent stance of the Central Authorities" to develop democracy in Hong Kong in the principle of gradual and orderly progress and in the light of specific conditions of the region, in accordance with the Basic Law of Hong Kong.

The final goal will surely be reached as provided for by the Basic Law that the Chief Executive will be elected through universal suffrage after nomination by a nomination committee with broad representation through democratic procedures, and all the members of the Legislative Council be elected through universal suffrage, the Decision said.

(Xinhua News Agency April 26, 2004)