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

    The decision, made in response to Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa's report on whether such methods need to be amended, "is in the overall and long-term interest of the Hong Kong society and conducive to the maintenance of the long-term prosperity and stability of the region," said Wu Bangguo, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee.

    "The method of universal suffrage shall not apply to" the election of the Third Chief Executive of the HKSAR in 2007, nor tothe 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 by direct elections in constituencies 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 in2008 could be "appropriately modified" in the principle of gradualand orderly progress and in accordance with the Basic Law, the Decision said.

    The Decision was passed at Monday's meeting with 156 approvals,one abstention and no objection.

    The NPC Standing Committee explained in the decision that Hong Kong's history for democratic election is not long, and it has been 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 increased remarkably. After half of the members are directly elected in constituencies and half are elected by functional groups, the influence of the directly-elected members upon Hong Kong society'sgeneral operation, especially the influence upon the executive-ledmechanism 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 generalelection 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 withbroad representation through democratic procedures, and all the members of the Legislative Council be elected through universal suffrage, the Decision said.

    In a speech upon adoption of the Decision at the legislative meeting, Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee Wu Bangguo said that it demonstrates the great importance and concern of the Central Authorities attached to the constitutional development in the region.

    "The central authorities has been very prudent in handling issues of constitutional development in Hong Kong," he said, noting that "every step taken (by the central authorities) has rigorously accorded with provisions and procedures stipulated by the law."

    The decision also reflects the consistent stance of the centralauthorities in advocating and supporting the development of democracy in the Hong Kong SAR, Wu said.

    The Hong Kong SAR Government welcomed the Decision, Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa told the press in Hong Kong. He said that its promulgation inaugurated the mechanism for the revision of related provisions in the annexes of the Hong Kong Basic Law.

    He called on the Hong Kong public to be sober-minded and urged all political parties to seek common ground while reserving differences and strive for a consensus on the constitutional development in Hong Kong.