Almost 400,000 people have declared support for the government's 2007-08 electoral reform package by putting down their names in a city-wide signature campaign over the past five days.

The numbers are increasing rapidly, with the pro-package momentum picking up ahead of Wednesday, when the Legislative Council (LegCo) votes on the proposals that would need two-thirds support to be passed.

In a major push for greater support, Chief Executive Donald Tsang and many non-official Executive Council (ExCo) members and principal officials yesterday visited a busy Central crossing, one of the 700 signature collection points.

"I'd like to thank everybody for the support they've given to the package. Everyone of us knows that opinion polls have again and again reflected clearly the people's voice that they are in support of the package," Tsang said.

"They hope all the legislators will reflect their voice when they cast their votes on December 21."

"I'd like to thank every enthusiastic citizen who has chosen a different means - signature - to tell legislators their opinions. The citizens do not want status quo and insist on a step being taken towards universal suffrage. This is going to be a concrete step," Tsang said.

The signature campaign, launched by the Democratic Alliance for Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) and about a dozen other groups including Federation of Trade Unions on December 11, will continue till December 18.

City University of Hong Kong's political scientist James Sung said such a move by Hong Kong's power nucleus was unprecedented.

"This is very rare," Sung said. "It means the CE is very keen to see the package passed and wants to get as much public support for it as possible. Since time is running out, he is going all out to get support."

Tsang and his top deputies are still trying their best to garner votes of opposition lawmakers, who have vowed to block the package.

The government still needs six more votes from the opponents. Yesterday morning, Tsang invited medical functional constituency legislator Kwok Ka-ki for a meeting. Later, Kwok quoted Tsang as having said that there wasn't much room in the package for amendment and it would be very difficult to offer a timetable now. Hence, the CE urged him and other legislators to support the package.

In a post-December 4 march poll covering 924 people, the Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies of the Chinese University of Hong Kong showed 56.3 per cent residents opposed the opposition's stand to block the package because it didn't contain a timetable for universal suffrage. Almost half of the people supported the package, with only 28.9 per cent opposing it.

Secretary for Constitutional Affairs, Stephen Lam, said the government would leave no stone unturned to win every single vote in LegCo.

"We fully respect and appreciate the aspirations of the people for universal suffrage... We've begun the work in the Commission on Strategic Development (CSD). The CE has made it clear that we intend to conclude the CSD discussions by early 2007." Lam had added his signature to the campaign the very day it was launched.

Yesterday, ExCo members Leung Chun-ying, Laura Cha, Andrew Liao, David Li, Henry Fan, Leong Che-hung, Marvin Cheung and some principal officials, too, visited the Central crossing at lunchtime to put their signatures.

Leung, convener of the non-official members, said they went there to state "publicly and clearly" their support for the package. "The package, if passed, will represent the biggest single step towards universal suffrage," Leung said.

The biggest support was based on public opinion, he said, hoping lawmakers would honour the voice of the people and vote for the package.

In between the officials' arrival, a number of passers-by made their way through the crowd of reporters and policemen to express their support in black and white.

Courier Chiu Man-kit, 19, found the proposal "okay". "It's suitable for Hong Kong, even though there isn't a timetable in it. I agree to the view of gradual change. The 'democrats' seem to be in too great a rush," Chiu said after signing.

Tse Chi-wai, who is in his 40s and works in the garments sector, was content with Hong Kong's prevailing situation and did not want to see anything rocking the boat. "The CE has been doing a good job. We should support him," he said.

(China Daily December 16, 2005)