Donald Tsang, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), said here Saturday that he and the HKSAR government welcome the decision by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) on HKSAR's constitutional development, stressing that it is a most important step in this regard.
"The timetable for attaining universal suffrage has been set. Hong Kong is entering a most important chapter in its constitutional history," said Tsang at a press conference.
Earlier Saturday, the NPC Standing Committee made a decision in Beijing on the HKSAR's constitutional development, which says that the election of the fifth HKSAR Chief Executive in the year 2017 may be implemented by the method of universal suffrage.
The decision also notes that after the Chief Executive is selected by universal suffrage, the election of HKSAR Legislative Council may be implemented by the method of electing all the members by universal suffrage.
"In coming to its decision, the NPC Standing Committee demonstrated clearly that the Central Government had attached great importance to the wishes of Hong Kong people," he said.
"We should all cherish this opportunity and forge a consensus together in a rational, pragmatic and inclusive manner," he noted.
Universal suffrage has been a contentious issue among different political camps in Hong Kong since the 1980s, with diverse views among political parties and within the community.
Tsang said that if emotional debate and conflict between political parties drags on over this matter, Hong Kong's stability and development will be severely hampered.
"I urge everyone, with utmost sincerity, to bring an end to such unnecessary contention, and to move towards reconciliation and consensus," he said.
"The NPC Standing Committee has taken the most important step for implementing universal suffrage. Now, it is up to the people of Hong Kong to take matters forward," he said.
A task group on constitutional development under the Commission on Strategic Development will be set up as soon as possible to study this issue, Tsang said.
"Our aim is to settle the two electoral methods for 2012 within the tenure of the third-term HKSAR Government. We hope that this will lay a solid foundation for attaining universal suffrage for the Chief Executive in 2017, and for the Legislative Council in 2020," he said.