Hong Kong's Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa (
Tung said he would not ask China to review an edict issued in April that snuffed out hopes of a swift transition to democracy in the territory.
"I understand that the public are disappointed by [Beijing's] decision but as chief executive I have no authority to change that decision," Tung said after an hour-long meeting with 20 pro-democracy legislators.
The meeting was the first contact between the government and the pro-democracy lobby since an estimated 500,000 people marched last Thursday to demand the right to directly elect the territory's leaders.
Tung said he would pass on the views of pro-democracy groups to Beijing but stressed he would not ask China to review its ruling.
Last week's march was fuelled by anger over China's ruling and fears for freedom of speech in Hong Hong. The huge turnout raised hopes China might re-address the reform issue and Tung has been under pressure since to raise the matter in China.
In yesterday's meeting, legislators led by Democratic Party chairman Yeung Sum (
A disappointed Yeung said after the meeting that Tung had flatly turned down both requests.
"He said it was not a new situation ... he doesn't see a need to review the decision," said a grim-looking Yeung, flanked by Lau and Martin Lee (
"He said he heard [the public demand] but he hasn't ... I can see clearly that he doesn't believe there is a need to have universal suffrage in 2007 and 2008," Yeung said.
He said the march had encouraged democrats to keep on pushing for change.
"The chance of seeing universal suffrage is always there. If we can keep on the fight in a peaceful and collective manner, it will come," he said.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications yesterday inaugurated the Danjiang Bridge across the Tamsui River in New Taipei City, saying that the structure would be an architectural icon and traffic artery for Taiwan. Feted as a major engineering achievement, the Danjiang Bridge is 920m long, 211m tall at the top of its pylon, and is the longest single-pylon asymmetric cable-stayed bridge in the world, the government’s Web site for the structure said. It was designed by late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid. The structure, with a maximum deck of 70m, accommodates road and light rail traffic, and affords a 200m navigation channel for boats,
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