Amended Basic Law adopted as HK electoral system overhauled
Print Edition
CHINA finalized an overhaul of Hong Kong’s electoral system yesterday, as authorities seek to ensure patriots rule the global financial hub.
Chinese lawmakers voted unanimously to adopt the amended Annex I and Annex II to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, which concern the methods for the selection of the HKSAR Chief Executive and the formation of the HKSAR Legislative Council and its voting procedures, respectively.
President Xi Jinping signed presidential orders to promulgate the amended annexes.
A democratic electoral system suiting Hong Kong’s legal status and reality has taken shape as a result of the amendments, said top legislator Li Zhanshu, while presiding over the closing meeting of the 27th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People’s Congress.
The improved electoral system has reconstructed the Election Committee of the HKSAR and given it more powers, Li noted.
While the Chief Executive of the HKSAR will continue to be elected by the Election Committee, the amendments however adjusted and improved the size, composition and formation process of the committee.
Besides, the Election Committee has been entrusted with the new functions of electing a relatively large share of Legislative Council members and directly participating in the nomination of all candidates for the Legislative Council.
The size of the legislature will increase to 90 seats from 70 currently, with 40 seats being chosen by the Election Committee, 30 by functional constituencies — bodies representing certain industries and special interest groups, and 20 by geographical constituencies through direct elections.
The Election Committee will increase from 1,200 members to 1,500.
The improved electoral system has also put in place and improved a candidate eligibility review mechanism, Li added.
Maria Tam, a senior Hong Kong politician who works with the NPC on matters relating to Hong Kong’s Basic Law, said the Committee for Safeguarding National Security would help a new vetting committee to “understand the background of all of the candidates, specifically whether they had complied with the national security law.”
With the implementation of the improved HKSAR electoral system and the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong,” the central government’s overall jurisdiction over the HKSAR will be effectively implemented, Li noted.
Governance efficacy
This will also markedly enhance the governance efficacy of the HKSAR and address the various deep-seated problems of Hong Kong, he added.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam and several city officials, including the Secretary for Justice, all issued separate statements supporting the move. “I firmly believe that by improving the electoral system and implementing ‘patriots administering Hong Kong,’ the excessive politicization in society and the internal rift that has torn Hong Kong apart can be effectively mitigated,” Lam said.
She said the changes would be submitted to the Legislative Council by mid-April and expected to see them passed by the end of May.
“We will extensively explain the matters to the public such that more and more people will recognize the necessity and urgency of such improvements to the electoral system and render their support,” she said.
Legislative Council elections, which were postponed in September due to the coronavirus, would be held in December, she added, while the city’s leadership election would be held in March, as planned.
Lam shrugged off concerns that improvements to the electoral system will bar people of different political parties from running for office, reaffirming the purpose of the improvement is to ensure “patriots administering Hong Kong.”
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