Hong Kong Chief Secretary for Administration Carrie Lam (C), Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen (L) and Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Raymond Tam Chi-yuen attend a press conference in Hong Kong, south China, Jan. 7, 2015. Hong Kong Wednesday announced the launch of the second round of public consultation on constitutional reform in the Legislative Council. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai)

HONG KONG, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong Chief Secretary for Administration Carrie Lam Wednesday announced the launch of the second round of public consultation on constitutional reform in the Legislative Council.

Lam said, in accordance with the Basic Law and the framework under the Decisions of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) adopted on Aug. 31, 2014, the Consultation Document sets out four key issues on the specific method for selecting the Chief Executive (CE) by universal suffrage to consult the public.

The issues include the composition and formation method of the Nominating Committee (NC); the procedures for the NC to nominate CE candidates; voting arrangements for selecting the CE by universal suffrage; and other related issues for the selection of the CE by universal suffrage.

Regarding the voting arrangements for selecting the CE by Universal Suffrage, Lam said when it is implemented, all eligible electors of Hong Kong could elect the CE-elect by "one person, one vote" from the two to three candidates nominated by the NC.

The following voting arrangements may be considered: the "first- past-the-post" system; the two-round voting system; and other voting systems, such as the instant runoff system or the supplementary vote system.

Lam said, as the Decision already stipulates that the number of members of the NC shall be 1,200, composed of 300 members in each of the four sectors, and maintain the existing method for selecting the members as provided for in Annex I to the Basic Law, depending on whether there is sufficient support, appropriate adjustments to the composition of subsectors under the four sectors of the NC, the number of members of each subsector, and the electorate base of such subsectors may be made during the stage of enacting local legislation.

As for the method of voting for the NC to nominate two to three CE candidates, since all candidates have to obtain the endorsement of more than half of all the members of the NC, the Consultation Document puts forward the options of "one person, three votes", " one person, two to three votes", "one person, maximum three votes", and "voting on each person seeking nomination" for consideration.

Lam added that the implementation of universal suffrage of the CE election in 2017 as scheduled and according to the law will be another important milestone for implementing the principle of "One Country, Two Systems", and will have far-reaching significance and impact on the country and Hong Kong.

She hoped that various sectors of the community will seize this opportunity to implement universal suffrage.

The method of selecting the Chief Executive by universal suffrage is published Tuesday by the government of the Hong Kong Administrative Region to start a two-month public consultation.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said in a statement that to achieve genuine universal suffrage, the law must be followed. To implement universal suffrage for the election of the CE, the Basic Law and the Decision of the NPCSC adopted on Aug. 31, 2014 must be strictly complied with.

Leung hoped that the community would actively express views and engage in rational and pragmatic discussions within the framework of the Basic Law and the Decision of the NPCSC.

He also said that it is better to have universal suffrage than not, and moving forward is always better than standing still, urging those members of the Legislative Council not to indiscreetly deprive Hong Kong's 5 million eligible voters of their opportunity to select the CE by universal suffrage.