Last week, we had a motion debate in the Legislative Council which touched upon the core values of Hong Kong. The debate evolved around freedoms, human rights, the rule of law and democracy.

Freedom of speech is very much alive in Hong Kong. The fact that radio talkshow hosts and callers to the programmes continue to express their views freely on air bears testimony to this.

The three radio programme hosts have been succeeded by new faces who are no less vocal and critical of the Government. Our colleagues continue to join the new programmes to explain the Government's position.

Rule of law remains intact

The rule of law has remained intact since reunification. Since 1997, there has been 1,900 judicial review cases in which the Government's position was challenged. This demonstrates that the Government and individuals are all equal before the law.

The Basic Law is the new constitutional foundation for Hong Kong. The power of interpreting the Basic Law rests with the National People's Congress Standing Committee, while the Court of Final Appeal has the power of final adjudication over court cases.

This arrangement realises the resumption of the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong on one hand, while preserving the common law tradition on the other. 

The NPCSC's interpretation in April clarifies the legislative procedures required for changing the electoral systems. This provides us with a clear legal foundation in taking things forward. 

Gov't committed to keeping elections honest

The Government is firmly committed to keeping the upcoming LegCo elections free, open and honest. The Police started investigation immediately on suspected cases of improper filing of voter registration forms.

On the longer term constitutional development, the publication of Report No.3 by the Constitutional Development Task Force signifies that we have entered into a new phase of public discussion. We can now translate the principles discussed in the past few months into specific proposals. 

The two seminars organised jointly by the Task Force and the Central Policy Unit in May and June attracted participation by different political parties and community groups. This is conducive to creating a tolerant and harmonious environment for the on-going debate. We hope that in time this will help engender consensus on the way forward. 

Hong Kong is a unique society. Long before democratic elections to LegCo were initiated in the mid-1980s, Hong Kong was already one of the freest society in Asia with the rule of law well established. This has been made possible through a variety of circumstances.

We have the common law as our legal foundation. We set up our first law school in late 1960s. This enables us to groom local legal talent. In time, these professionals have filled the ranks of judges, legal academics, legislators and policy administrators.

The ICAC was established in 1970s to strengthen the rule of law and to safeguard a level playing field. We have the Bill of Rights. The establishment of the Court of Final Appeal preserves our common law system and enables it to continue to flourish in Hong Kong. 

The current institutions of Hong Kong are adequate and sufficient to protect freedoms, human rights and the rule of law.

Another collective challenge for the community

The pursuit of democracy represents another collective challenge for the community. The ultimate aim of universal suffrage enshrined in the Basic Law is accepted by all. The current debate on constitutional development should, therefore, be about the pace and form of further progress.

We should ensure that any change in our electoral systems would be conducive to enhancing governance, balancing the interests of different sectors, and broadening the representativeness of our electoral systems. 

Ever since the concluding of the Joint Declaration and the drafting of the Basic Law in the 1980's, colleagues of the Government have strived to strengthen Hong Kong's institutions. We will never allow our core values to be eroded. 

At the same time, we will make best endeavours to build community consensus on a formula to bring our electoral systems closer to the ultimate aim of universal suffrage.

Core values represent HK people's beliefs

In the final analysis, Hong Kong's core values are not the preserve of the Government or any political organisation. They represent the beliefs of Hong Kong people and they underpin our way of life.

The Government, political parties and all who have a role to play in political life have a common mission to protect these values in the interest of the people of Hong Kong.

(This is an exclusive article by Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Stephen Lam for publication on news.gov.hk)