Hong Kong's Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa Tuesday (July 13th) called on people to actively participate in the Constitutional Development Task Force's consultation and reach a consensus that complies with the Basic Law.

Such a consensus is important in building a solid foundation to move toward the ultimate goal of universal suffrage, Tung said.

In his final question-and-answer session with current legislators, Tung called the last four years the most trying period politically, economically and socially since 1997.

However, with the support of both Hong Kong people and the Chinese central government, the city's political stability has been maintained and the social atmosphere has improved.

Noting that universal suffrage is the common goal of the community, Tung said the remaining issue that most people argue about is the time element.

Maintaining a good relation between legislative and executive bodies is an important issue, Tung said, adding that people should continue putting effort into this area even after the completion of the Legislative Council's second term.

On the progress of the accountability system, Tung said improvement has been seen in a number of areas including team leadership, officials' cooperation and the understanding of the political situation.

Turning to the Individual Visit Scheme, Tung said the government will continue liaising with the Chinese mainland to consider extending it.

While noting that the scheme is essential to Hong Kong's long-term development, Tung said the government needs to assess the situation to ensure Hong Kong has sufficient facilities to handle the upsurge.

Editor: Wing