A spokesman of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government reiterated Sunday that the HKSAR should deal with constitutional development in accordance with the Basic Law and the decision made by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) in April.

He made the remarks in response to a radio program of the RTHK Radio 3 Sunday.

The spokesman stressed that "the idea of a referendum is not practical. It is not in accordance with the procedures stipulated in the Basic Law. It would amount to a waste of time and energy, and a needless distraction for the community," adding "a referendum was also not appropriate."

The spokesman reiterated that the government will not conduct a referendum on constitutional development.

He said "for changes to be made to the methods for electing the Chief Executive (CE) in 2007 and for forming the Legislative Council (LegCo) in 2008, we should go through the process set out in Annexes I and II of the Basic Law and secure a two-thirds majority support in the LegCo, the consent of the CE, and the endorsement of the NPC Standing Committee."

The spokesman pointed out that "the NPC Standing Committee has the constitutional power and responsibility to oversee Hong Kong's constitutional development. We are obliged to pursue the amendment of Hong Kong's electoral system according to the decision made by the NPC Standing Committee," he said.

"In fact, before making its decision on April 26, the NPC Standing Committee had considered carefully the actual situation in Hong Kong, including different views in the Hong Kong community," he added.

The Constitutional Development Task Force will issue its fourth report before the end of the year. The report will consolidate all the views that the Task Force has received in the last five months since the publication of the Third Report, he said.

The community will have several months to put forth their views on the electoral arrangements for 2007 and 2008.

"We hope that around mid-2005 a consensus will have emerged from the community. The Task Force will then issue a fifth report to set out a mainstream proposal to facilitate further public discussion.

"Hong Kong is a pluralistic society. People with different views on constitutional development have to work together on a set of proposals which is feasible, which is in accordance with the Basic Law and the NPC Standing Committee decision, and which could bring our electoral systems closer to the ultimate aim of universal suffrage.

"All parties have to be prepared to accommodate mutual differences and widen the common ground in order to reach consensus," he said.

He said that the Task Force will continue to reflect fully to the Central Government the views and sentiments of the community.

(Xinhua News Agency November 8, 2004)