The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, started to examine a draft interpretation of Hong Kong's mini-constitution regarding the tenure of the region's chief executive (CE) on Sunday.
Li Fei, deputy director of the NPC Standing Committee’s Legislative Affairs Commission, delivered the draft interpretation of Clause 2, Article 53 of Hong Kong’s Basic Law to lawmakers. It is the 15th session of the 10th NPC Standing Committee and will run from April 24 to 27.
As requested by acting CE Donald Tsang on April 6, the State Council, China’s cabinet, asked the standing committee on April 10 to interpret the law after disagreement on the tenure of a new CE following Tung Chee Hwa’s resignation last month.
The central government’s position is that the new term should be for the remainder of Tung’s tenure, rather than a full 5-year term.
The standing committee’s chairman and vice-chairpersons' meeting last Monday decided that views from Hong Kong NPC deputies, Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference members and others should be sought, and meetings were held last week to do this.
Li said the Hong Kong government is currently also soliciting opinions from the general public.
He added that central government sincerely hopes the amendment of the CE’s selection method subsequent to the year 2007 will reflect Hong Kong's democratic progress and consensus reached by all circles of Hong Kong society.
Li said that, according to the Basic Law, in the first ten years of the special administrative region’s establishment there would only be two CEs elected, each with tenure of five years.
Agreement for the new CE’s term to be the remainder of Tung’s would help Hong Kong develop democracy in accordance with its Basic Law after 2007 and gradually create conditions to near the ultimate goal of a general election, he said.
Li said the interpretation is entirely in accordance with the Basic Law and the interests of the people of Hong Kong.
(Xinhua News Agency April 25, 2005)
