HK elects 36 new-term deputies to China's top legislature

HONG KONG -- Thirty-six people, out of a total of 49 candidates, from different sectors of the Hong Kong society were elected on Tuesday as deputies to the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature.

Bernard Charnwut Chan, the 52-year-old non-official convener of the Executive Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), topped the ballot tally by winning 1,693 votes from 1,796 members attending the second plenary session of the Conference for Electing Deputies of HKSAR to the 13th NPC.

A total of 25 deputies were successfully re-elected including Bernard Charnwut Chan, Martin Liao Cheung Kong and Ma Fung-kwok, members of Hong Kong's Legislative Council, as well as Ip Kwok-him, a member of the Executive Council.

Among 11 newly-elected deputies, Vincent Lee Kwan-ho, a member of Hong Kong's Financial Services Development Council, won the largest votes, followed by Raymond Tam Chi-yuen, former secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs of the HKSAR government.

Among the 36 deputies were five women including 55-year-old Cally Kwong Mei-wan, the first runner-up of the 1982 Miss Hong Kong Pageant and popular singer who later became a socialite promoting charity.

The 13th National People's Congress will convene in Beijing to elect new state leaders and discuss state affairs next March.

Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the NPC Standing Committee Wang Chen attended the second plenary session of the conference, which was presided over by HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.

In his speech after the election, Wang congratulated on the elected deputies, saying the election for deputies of HKSAR to the 13th NPC had strictly complied with the law and had proceeded by giving full play to democracy.

"It is an open, fair and just election," he said.

Wang said he believed the elected deputies would inherit the tradition of loving the country and Hong Kong, defend the Constitution and the Basic Law of HKSAR, support the principle of "One Country, Two Systems," and earnestly carry out the duties of the deputies, so as to make contributions to building a brighter future for Hong Kong and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

The 36 deputies-elect will formally be installed into office after they pass detailed audit by a panel under the Standing Committee of the 12th NPC.