LegCo Passes Chief Executive Election BillThe Legislative Council (LegCo) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Wednesday passed the Chief Executive Election Bill, offering legal backing for the election of the second SAR chief executive next year.The bill, formulated on the basis of the Basic Law, specifies the term of office and the election of the SAR chief executive, the composition of the Election Committee, the ballot date and nomination. The term of office of the chief executive is five years and the chief executive is able to be re-elected for one more term, according to the bill. Michael Suen, secretary for the constitutional affairs, said at the LegCo meeting Wednesday that the formulation of the draft bill has taken into consideration the way to choose the first SAR chief executive, and the effective arrangements in electing members of the LegCo and District Councils. The committee responsible for drafting the bill has held 15 meetings to examine the draft and solicit the opinion of the public, he said, adding that some 80 organizations and individuals have offered their opinions and most of them showed support to the bill. Suen believed that the bill, which complies with the Basic Law and the practical situations of Hong Kong, will surely lay a solid foundation for the election of the chief executive. |
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