The State Council, China's cabinet, on Sunday decided to make a request to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's legislature, to interpret the Clause 2 of Article 53 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) concerning the tenure of a new HKSAR chief executive.

A spokesperson of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council made comments on the issue. He said the State Council had on Sunday submitted a motion to the NPC Standing Committee, making a request to the NPC Standing Committee to interpret the Clause 2 of Article 53.

Acting Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang submitted a report to the State Council on April 6, proposing the State Council make a request to the NPC Standing Committee to interpret the Clause 2 of Article 53, so as to clarify the fact that the tenure of a new HKSAR chief executive is the remaining tenure of the former HKSAR chief executive, the spokesperson said.

The State Council held that nailing down the tenure of a new HKSAR chief executive attached great importance to the accurate implementation of the relevant provisions in the HKSAR Basic Law, and had a direct bearing on the smooth election of the new HKSAR chief executive as well as the central government's appointment to the new HKSAR leader, the spokesperson said.

Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to make a request to the NPC Standing Committee to interpret the relevant provisions in the HKSAR Basic Law, said the spokesperson.

The spokesperson said the State Council's timely study of the report submitted by the HKSAR government and its resolution to request the NPC Standing Committee to interpret relevant provisions of the HKSAR Basic Law, demonstrated the cabinet's consistent position of strictly following the HKSAR Basic Law and sparing no efforts to maintain Hong Kong's stability and prosperity. 

(Xinhua News Agency April 10, 2005)