HONG KONG, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- The decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) for the sixth Legislative Council (LegCo) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to continue discharging its duties will enable the continued smooth operation of the legislature, LegCo President Andrew Leung said on Tuesday.

The decision will also ensure the effective administration of the HKSAR government, he added.

In view of the severe COVID-19 pandemic situation, the HKSAR government has postponed the LegCo election to ensure that it can be conducted fairly and impartially, he said.

To address the issue arising from the postponement of the election, the NPC Standing Committee has made the decision to let the sixth LegCo continue to discharge its duties for no less than one year, until the commencement of the seventh LegCo, he said.

Leung said, in the midst of the current pandemic, Hong Kong is facing severe economic hardship. He hoped that when the LegCo resumes work, members of the LegCo could put aside political differences and work together to perform their constitutional duties, with the common goal to resolve economic and livelihood issues in the best interest of the community.