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Chinese top legislator Wu Bangguo said Tuesday that the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) assumes the supreme legal status in Hong Kong, and all legislative, administrative and judicial activities in Hong Kong must accord with the Basic Law.
"No legislative, administrative or judicial activity in the Hong Kong SAR is allowed to contradict with the Basic Law, let alone to go against the Basic Law," said Wu, chairman of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC), the Chinese national legislature, while joining lawmakers from the Hong Kong and Macao SARs in group discussions on Tuesday morning.
The lawmakers are in Beijing for the ongoing annual full session of the Tenth NPC, which opened on Sunday and is scheduled to conclude on March 14.
Wu reiterated that the central authorities unswervingly support the Hong Kong SAR to push forward its constitutional reform in accordance with the Basic Law and in a gradual and orderly manner.
"I hope all social circles in Hong Kong can reach a broad consensus regarding this issue, and continue to do a good job in promoting the development of the constitutional reform according to law," said Wu.
Wu also told the Hong Kong lawmakers that the central authorities have a very positive comment on the performance of Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive Donald Tsang and the SAR government.
"The governance principle of 'improving governance and benefiting the people' adopted by Donald Tsang and the SAR government conforms to the fundamental interests and common aspirations of the Hong Kong people," said Wu. "We hope all social circles in Hong Kong can give all-out support to Tsang and his government and work hard for Hong Kong's economic development."
Two motions on the constitutional reform submitted by the Hong Kong SAR government to the Hong Kong SAR Legislative Council last December were not adopted despite winning the support of over half of the 60-seat chamber, as they failed to gain a two-thirds majority of the votes as required by the Basic Law.
The two motions were the Method for Selecting the Chief Executive in 2007 and the Method for Forming the Legislative Council in 2008. The Hong Kong SAR government published the two proposals after 18 months of consultation on the basis of soliciting opinions from various walks of life in Hong Kong.
Talking about the sound situation in the Macao SAR, Wu said the maintenance of social stability and a rapid economic growth in Macao has proved the correctness of the principle of "one country, two systems."
"I hope people in Macao can continue to support Chief Executive Edmund Ho and the Macao SAR government, to jointly promote a well- coordinated and sustainable development of the region," Wu added.
(Xinhua News Agency March 8, 2006)
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