The substantive power to decide on Hong Kong's constitutional development rests with the Central Authorities, and the National People's Congress Standing Committee decisions have irrefutable legal status and are legally valid.
This was a key message from Chief Executive CY Leung, who delivered his third Policy Address today. He also noted that universal suffrage for the Chief Executive election was stipulated for the first time in the Basic Law, not the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
He rejected the slogan "Hong Kong shall resolve Hong Kong's problems" which he said does not conform with the city's constitutional arrangements.
"The Basic Law clearly stipulates that the power to nominate candidates of the Chief Executive election rests only with the nominating committee. Over the past year, the Central Authorities and the Government have repeatedly pointed out that civic nomination does not comply with the Basic Law."
Mr Leung said he hopes the community will make good use of the two-month consultation period to discuss constitutional reform issues rationally and pragmatically within the framework of the Basic Law and the NPCSC's decisions to achieve universal suffrage in the 2017 Chief Executive election.
He also noted that incidents in the past few months show that Hong Kong people will not agree to a means of expression that denies others of their rights, and will not condone any unlawful acts.
