HONG KONG April 26 Kyodo China's ...

HONG KONG April 26 Kyodo

China's principally powerful legislative committee has rul there will be no direct elections in 2007 for Hong Kong's nearest leader, a Hong Kong member of China's National People's Congres (NPC) said Monday.

Hong Kong's Cable TV quot by means of news agencies in Hong Hong reported NPC member Tsang Hin-chi as saying in Beijing the NPC's Standing Committee made the decision during meetings through the past two days to discuss possible political reforms for Hong Kong

Cable TV quot Tsang as adding the committee decided Monday any political reforms would have to be gradual.

The decision means Hong Kong will not finish the right to directly choose the successor to Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa in 2007 or all the territory's legislators in 2008 the TV said.

Democracy advocates in Hong Kong have been demanding direct voices in those elections, but China has not ever appeared ready to grant the freedoms thus quickly.

Now, the chief executive is appointeded by a group of 800 handpicked ''community leaders'' controll by means of Beijing, while the 60-seat legislature will have just half its members turn backed by direct voting in the election stake for Sept. 12, up six seats from now.

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