The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC)
announced on Monday that it would examine a draft interpretation of
Hong Kong's mini-constitution regarding the tenure of the region's
chief executive
next week.
The draft interpretation of Clause 2, Article 53 of the Basic Law of the
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) was formulated
at the standing committee's chairman and vice-chairpersons meeting
on Monday.
As requested by the State Council on April 10, it will be
deliberated at the 15th session of the 10th NPC Standing Committee,
scheduled to meet in Beijing from April 24 to 27.
Li Fei, deputy director of the standing committee's Legislative
Affairs Commission, reported to the chairman and vice-chairpersons
meeting on issues concerning the clause.
They agreed to seek opinions from the standing committee's Hong
Kong SAR Basic Law Committee, and entrusted Li and Deputy
Secretary-General Qiao Xiaoyang to solicit views from Hong Kong NPC
deputies, Hong Kong members of the National Committee of the Chinese
People's Political Consultative Conference and representatives
from Hong Kong society.
Clause 2 of Article 53 stipulates that, in the event that the
office of chief executive becomes vacant, a new one shall be
selected within six months.
Tung Chee Hwa, 67, announced his resignation as chief executive
on March 10, and this was approved at a plenary meeting of the
State Council on March 12. Donald Tsang
immediately became acting chief executive.
Tsang said at a press conference on March 12 that the selection
of a new chief executive would take place on July 10 and that, "Our
position is that the term of office should be the remainder of the
term of the preceding chief executive."
He submitted a report to the State Council on April 6, proposing
that it request that the NPC Standing Committee interpret Clause 2
of Article 53 to clarify the issue of tenure.
The upcoming NPC session will also include the second
deliberation of draft civil servant law, first deliberation of the
draft amendment to securities law, deliberation on admission to the
Convention on the Prohibition of the Military or Any Other Hostile
Use of Environmental Modification Techniques, approval of the
Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect
of Inter-country Adoption.
It will also hear a report by the State Council on reform of
state-owned enterprises and on enforcement of statistics law.
(Xinhua News Agency April 19, 2005)