Equal representation not based on numbers -Leung

Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung explains comments he made about the city's poor and working class.

Monday Leung said universal suffrage was impossible partly because Hong Kong's large population of poor and working class citizens would end up with a dominant voice in politics.

Tuesday he said every sector of society should be represented equally regardless of the number of people in that sector.

(SOUNDBITE)(Cantonese) HONG KONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE LEUNG CHUN-YING, SAYING:

"There is indeed the concept of equal representation in the basic law. What we mean by equal representation is that it's not based solely on the number of people. We can't define equal representation by dividing the people up into different income and social class groups. Equal representation is to consider the different sectors in our society."

Leung's latest comments came just hours before planned talks between pro-democracy demonstrators and government officials.

Overnight and in