The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government remains committed to promoting democratic development, a government spokesman said yesterday in response to lawmaker Audrey Eu's remarks that its position was that "there would be no democratic progress for a long time."

He said the government would pursue the question of universal suffrage through discussions in the Commission on Strategic Development (CSD). "The government is fully aware of the public's aspirations for universal suffrage... CSD is taking forward the work on a road map for universal suffrage."

He noted Eu's comment, made on RTHK's "Letter to Hong Kong" program yesterday, that there should be gradual and orderly progress in our electoral system, and that the government should propose changes in it.

"Indeed, the government did put forth a package of proposals on the 2007-08 elections," he said. If approved by the Legislative Council (LegCo), the package would have created more room for wider political participation.

But 24 LegCo members, including Eu, voted down the package, even though it enjoyed majority support in the community.

The spokesman said: "Constitutionally, as the package did not receive the required two-thirds majority support of LegCo members, the existing electoral arrangements would continue to apply for the 2007-08 elections.

"At the same time, the government remains committed to promoting democratic development in Hong Kong and would pursue the question of universal suffrage through discussions in CSD."

Answering reporters at a program in Hong Kong yesterday, Deputy Director of the central government's Liaison Office in Hong Kong Li Gang reiterated his understanding that the HKSAR government didn't have a sixth report or a second package of constitutional reform. But there could be technical amendments at the local level.

(China Daily HK edition January 16, 2006)