Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang said yesterday evening that the demands of the special administrative region (SAR)'s citizens for democracy are not in contradiction with the Fifth Report of the Constitutional Development Task Force.

Speaking at a press conference at Government House, Tsang said the central government and that of Hong Kong are actively leading the SAR toward universal suffrage in an orderly and gradual manner.

"We would not change our commitments to universal suffrage," he pledged.

He said the Package Proposals for the Methods for Selecting the Chief Executive in 2007 and for Forming the Legislative Council in 2008 offer a leaping-off point for Hong Kong's democratic development.

If the proposals are adopted by the Legislative Council later this month, he said, Hong Kong's democratic development will surely advance instead of slowing down.

Tsang said the implementation of the package proposals will not be in contradiction with former proposals for selection methods or the drafting of a road map and timetable for universal suffrage, but can coexist with and supplement each other.

Hong Kong citizens took to the streets on Sunday afternoon to express their discontent with the package proposals, issued by the SAR government on October 19.

Some bystanders told the press that the most important thing for Hong Kong was to maintain stability and economic growth.

(Xinhua News Agency December 5, 2005)