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)