Chief Executive CY Leung today called on both lawmakers and citizens to make rational choices based on facts in the two weeks before the Legislative Council votes on the Government's political reform proposal.
Speaking to reporters ahead of an Executive Council meeting this morning, Mr Leung said there were several factors to consider objectively.
He noted that the Central Government is responsible for amending the methods for selecting the Chief Executive, which includes proceeding in accordance with the National People's Congress Standing Committee's decisions.
Mr Leung said that after Sunday's meeting in Shenzhen between lawmakers and Mainland officials, it was clear the Central Government will not give way on the reform package for the 2017 election.
He added that "politics is the art of the possible" and everybody can have different ideas as the political spectrum is wide, but the important thing is to stick to what is feasible.
The Chief Executive noted that even a proposal backed by all pan-democrats may not necessarily secure the two-thirds majority needed in the Legislative Council to be passed.
He reiterated that civic nomination is inconsistent with the Basic Law and that only a nominating committee has the power to put forward a candidate for the Chief Executive election.
Mr Leung added that if the reform package was passed this time around, it did not mean it would be in place forever.
He stressed that if the framework for electing the Chief Executive needed to be amended beyond 2017, the "five-step process" of constitutional development could be launched and the Government would again seek a two-thirds majority in LegCo, the consent of the Chief Executive, and the NPC Standing Committee's approval.
