China's top legislature to deliberate on HKSAR's draft amendments

China's top legislature will deliberate on the draft amendments to Annex I and II to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's Basic Law next week.

The 27th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress will be held in Beijing on March 29 and 30 and national legislators will deliberate on the draft amendments to the two annexes to Hong Kong's Basic Law, which, if passed, will bring changes to the SAR's electoral system.

The upcoming deliberation comes after the NPC adopted a decision on March 11 to improve Hong Kong's electoral system by an overwhelming majority vote at the fourth annual session of the 13th NPC.

The decision authorizes the NPC Standing Committee to amend Annex I and Annex II, which contain specific methods for the selection of the chief executive and for the formation of the Legislative Council, two major components of Hong Kong's electoral system.

Wang Chen, vice-chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said while explaining the decision at the NPC's annual session on March 5 that the reform is to deal with the loopholes and deficiencies in Hong Kong's current electoral system and to ensure the city is administered by patriots.

The change, as clarified by the decision, will include more powers being given to Hong Kong's Election Committee in nominating candidates for chief executive and the Legislative Council, with its composition increasing from 1,200 to 1,500 members from five sectors.

Zang Tiewei, a spokesman for the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, said the upcoming deliberation on the draft amendments is of great significance toward improving Hong Kong's electoral system, promoting the region's democratic development in keeping with its actual situation and ensuring its long-term stability and prosperity as well as the country's sovereignty and security.