HK govt, legislature join hands on revision

Three upcoming elections set to be held under improved system

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's government and legislature vowed on Tuesday to spare no effort in taking forward the revision of its electoral laws, with the aim of holding three upcoming elections under the improved system.

Following the adoption of amendments to the electoral system by the nation's top legislature on Tuesday, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor told a news conference that the Election Committee election in September, the Legislative Council election in December and Chief Executive election next March will be held under the improved electoral arrangements.

The government will table a draft bill to the legislature in the middle of next month and deliberation on it is expected to finish by the end of May, Lam said.

On Tuesday morning, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress adopted amendments to Annex I and Annex II of Hong Kong's Basic Law that deal with the method of selection of its chief executive and the formation and voting procedures of the Legislative Council.

Lam said the government firmly supports the move to improve Hong Kong's electoral system, saying it will help Hong Kong return to the right track of "one country, two systems".

One of the goals for the electoral improvements is to boost the efficacy of governance, Lam said.

For quite some time, many capable people were reluctant to join the power structure due to the politicized environment, she said.

But under the improved system, Lam said, she believed more capable people will come forward to take part in the governing team.

She said government officials will fully cooperate with the central authorities in amending local electoral laws and strengthen work explaining the revisions.

The government has made a brochure to answer the public's questions about the election improvements. Principal government officials will also hold seminars to introduce the amended Annex I and Annex II, Lam said.

She said a new vetting committee proposed in the electoral improvements will comprise several principal government officials. The committee will scrutinize the qualification of candidates standing for chief executive, the legislature and the Election Committee.

The improvement will also see the cancellation of 117 Election Committee seats held by district councilors.

Lam said that with the expansion of the Election Committee from 1,200 to 1,500 to include more voices from the grassroots, there is no need for the district councils, which are advisory bodies on district affairs, to sit on it.

Legislative Council President Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen said separately that the amendments adopted by NPC Standing Committee will help improve cooperation between the executive and legislative bodies, while maintaining checks and balances, and enable them to focus more on economic and livelihood problems.

He said that the legislature will fully cooperate with the government to speed up the deliberation of local electoral amendments, adding that additional meetings will be held to finish the first reading of the bill as soon as possible. To handle the hefty legislative work, he also agreed to extend the term of the current Legislative Council to December.

The amendments also received support from Hong Kong-based central government officials and local political leaders.

The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region said the amendments will provide a significant institutional safeguard for the "patriots administering Hong Kong" principle. They will usher the development of a democratic system suited to Hong Kong's realities into a new phase, it added.

The central authorities have always been propelling and safeguarding Hong Kong's democracy and the amendments demonstrate the commitment of the central authorities to improve the mechanism of "one country, two systems "and maintain Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability, it said.

Leung Chun-ying, a vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said the improved electoral system will make the Election Committee, which chooses Hong Kong's chief executive, more representative. He said the changes made by central authorities are consistent with the Election Committee's original design and responsibility.

In separate statements, Hong Kong's national lawmakers and political advisers also endorsed the amendments. They agreed that the move will help ensure patriots-led administration in Hong Kong and improve the practice of "one country, two systems".