Wu Bangguo, chairman of the National People's
Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said Saturday that the approved
decision on selecting chief executive and forming the Legislative
Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) as
well as universal suffrage is "far-reaching" for long prosperity
and stability in Hong Kong.
The NPC Standing Committee considered at its 31st session the
Report on the Public Consultation on Constitutional Development and
on whether there is a need to amend the methods for selecting the
Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and
for forming the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region in 2012" submitted by HKSAR Chief Executive
Tsang Yam-kuen on Dec. 12.
The NPC Standing Committee approved that appropriate amendments
may be made to the specific method for selecting the fourth HKSAR
Chief Executive and the specific method for forming the fifth term
HKSAR Legislative Council in the year 2012.
The committee also decided that the election of the fifth HKSAR
chief executive in the year 2017 may be implemented by universal
suffrage.
After the chief executive is selected by universal suffrage, the
election of the HKSAR Legislative Council may be implemented by the
method of electing all the members by universal suffrage.
Wu said the decision is significant to comprehensively implement
the principle of "one country, two systems," "Hong Kong people
governing the HKSAR," and the high degree of autonomy, as well as
the HKSAR Basic Law.
It will also ensure the gradual, progressive and healthy
constitutional development in Hong Kong in line with the HKSAR
Basic Law, while maintaining and promoting long prosperity and
stability in Hong Kong, Wu said.
The committee decided that the election of the fourth HKSAR
Chief Executive in the year 2012 shall not be implemented by the
method of universal suffrage. The election of the fifth term HKSAR
Legislative Council in the year 2012 shall not be implemented by
the method of electing all the members by universal suffrage.
The half-and-half ratio between members returned by functional
constituencies and members returned by geographical constituencies
through direct elections shall remain unchanged. The procedures for
voting on bills and motions in the Legislative Council shall remain
unchanged, the committee decided.
The committee decided that at an appropriate time prior to the
selection of the HKSAR Chief Executive and the HKSAR Legislative
Council by universal suffrage, the Chief Executive shall make a
report to the NPC Standing Committee as regards the issue of
amending the method for selecting the Chief Executive and forming
the Legislative Council.
The bills on the amendments to the method for selecting the
Chief Executive and forming the Legislative Council and the
proposed amendments to such bills shall be introduced by the HKSAR
government to the Legislative Council.
Such amendments must be made with the endorsement of a
two-thirds majority of all the members of the Legislative Council
and the consent of the Chief Executive and they shall be reported
to the NPC Standing Committee for approval, according to the draft
decision.
Wu said the NPC Standing Committee reviewed Chief Executive
Tsang's Dec. 12 report and made the decision strictly in line with
the legislative procedure. The NPC Standing Committee meeting of
chairman and vice chairmen decided on Dec. 17 to include review on
Tsang's report in the agenda of the 31st session of the NPC
Standing Committee, which concluded Saturday.
Wu said the NPC Standing Committee reached consensus on the
opinions and advice proposed in Tsang's report, including the
general hope among Hong Kong people for an early decision on the
universal suffrage schedule.
"Those opinions and advice are objective and practical," Wu
said. "It is necessary, feasible and legitimate to clarify
appropriate amendments to the method for selecting HKSAR Chief
Executive and the Legislative Council in 2012 and set up a schedule
on universal-suffrage selection."
Since Hong Kong returned to the motherland a decade ago, Wu
said, the principle of "one country, two systems" and the HKSAR
Basic Law have been generally effective.
The central government firmly sticks to the principle of "one
country, two systems," "Hong Kong people governing HKSAR" and high
degree of autonomy, strictly abides by the HKSAR Basic Law, and
fully supports governance of the HKSAR Chief Executive and the
HKSAR government, in order to keep long prosperity and stability,
Wu said.
Under the HKSAR Basic Law, the Chief Executive led all ranks and
circles in Hong Kong to composedly address various challenges to
Hong Kong, maintain stability in Hong Kong, and achieve a sound
situation of growing economy, stable society and better livelihood,
Wu said.
Since the economic recovery in 2003, Wu said, Hong Kong has kept
a good momentum on development, remaining an international
financial, trading and transportation center.
"Hong Kong remains the free and open economy with the most
vitality throughout the world," Wu said.
Evidence proves and will continue proving the arrangement of
"one country, two systems" could be achieved and run soundly, with
full vitality, Wu said.
The HKSAR Basic Law is a good law tested by the practice, and
implementation of the Basic Law is not a one-strike-for-all job but
a generation-after-generation demanding task, he said.
"We should further solidify our determination on implementing
the Basic Law, cherish the hard-achieved sound situation in Hong
Kong, safeguard the dignity of the Basic Law and consciously push
forward the great cause of fulfilling the principle of 'one
country, two systems," Wu said.
The HKSAR constitutional development will undoubtedly affect
implementation of the principle of "one country, two systems" and
the HKSAR Basic Law, relationship between the HKSAR and the
mainland and the interests of the Hong Kong people, and thus have
significant bearing on the long prosperity and stability of Hong
Kong, Wu said.
The central government always attaches great importance to the
constitutional development in Hong Kong, he said.
With the principle of gradual and stable constitutional
development stipulated by the Basic Law, Wu said, the NPC Standing
Committee clarified the timetable for universal suffrage in
selecting the HKSAR Chief Executive and forming the HKSAR
Legislative Council, which again embodies the policy of the central
government on promoting constitutional development in Hong Kong and
meets fundamental interests of the Hong Kong people.
"We believe that the HKSAR government would hold high the banner
of the Basic Law, unify all ranks of life, appropriately address
issues concerning the constitutional development in line with the
NPC Standing Committee decision, and finally reach the goal set in
the Basic Law that HKSAR Chief Executive and Legislative Council
members are selected by universal suffrage," Wu said.
(Xinhua News Agency December 29, 2007)