Hong Kong Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Stephen Lam
Sui-lung came to Beijing Thursday on behalf of Chief Executive Tung
Chee-hwa to submit his report on Hong Kong's constitutional
development to the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing
Committee.
Tung's report contains a request to the NPC Standing Committee
to determine whether the methods for selecting the chief executive
in 2007 and for forming the Legislative Council in 2008 can be
amended.
Tung's report said that they should be amended to enable Hong
Kong's constitutional development to move forward.
The chief executive submitted the report on the basis of the NPC
Standing Committee's interpretation of Hong Kong Basic Law annexes
on April 6, and after consideration of relevant sections of the
Basic Law and all other factors, Lam said.
Deputy Secretary-General of the NPC Standing Committee Qiao
Xiaoyang accepted the report on behalf of the NPC Standing
Committee chairpersons.
The report and its annex will be submitted immediately to the
NPC Standing Committee chairs, said Qiao.
The committee will meet to discuss the report in accordance with
the law, and make decisions abiding by Article 45 and 68 of the
Basic Law as well as on the basis of Hong Kong's reality and the
step-by-step principle, he said.
The "one country, two systems," "Hong Kong people governing Hong
Kong," and "high degree of autonomy" principles must continue to be
observed strictly in implementing the Basic Law, he said,
expressing confidence that Hong Kong's democratic system will be
upheld in a healthy and stable fashion.
Tung explained his report at a press conference in Hong Kong
yesterday. He said the Hong Kong government must heed the views of
the central government when it examines the direction and pace of
its constitutional development.
Any proposed amendments must comply with the provisions of the
Basic Law.
The chief executive has also received the second report by the
Constitutional Development Task Force, which sets out the views of
the task force on issues of principle in the Basic Law relating to
Hong Kong's constitutional development. It also takes into account
public views gathered over the past two months or so.
(China Daily April 16, 2004)