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Extending LegCo term 'ensures HK's operation'

By Gang Wen | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2020-08-12 22:07
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Lawmakers attend a meeting at the Legislative Council in Hong Kong, on June 14, 2018. [Photo by Roy Liu/China Daily]

National lawmakers' decision to allow the sixth Legislative Council of Hong Kong to continue performing its duties for another year will ensure the normal operation of the city's society, the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region said on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the nation's top legislature, adopted the decision that permits current Hong Kong lawmakers to stay in office for no less than one more year — a move to address the power vacuum created by the postponement of next month's LegCo election until September 2021.

Calling the decision "legal and practical", a spokesperson for the liaison office said in a statement that the office will support the SAR government and social sectors to allow the current LegCo to continue operations.

The spokesperson said that the decision has not only provided a strong legal basis for the continuation of the current legislature, but also safeguarded the SAR's constitutional and legal order.

What's more, the decision helps ensure the smooth governance of the SAR government and the normal operation of society, the spokesperson added.

Based on the nation's Constitution and the SAR's Basic Law, the decision's legality is beyond challenge, the spokesperson said, adding that the move will have a minimal social impact, which will help society concentrate on containing the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Currently battered by its third wave of COVID-19 infections, the city has recorded a total of 4,181 confirmed cases, with 58 deaths.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor expressed her heartfelt gratitude for the decision. In a Tuesday statement, she said that the decision has fully resolved the question of how to deal with the interval between the scheduled end of the legislators' terms and the next election.

"It demonstrates once again the care and support of the central government for the HKSAR," Lam said.

Meeting the press on Tuesday, LegCo President Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen said the decision has enabled the smooth operation of the city's legislature, which is a key premise of effective administration of the SAR government.

Many government policies are implemented through legislation, and government expenditures, such as paying the salaries of civil servants, also require the approval of LegCo.

He added the normal operation of LegCo and the government will also help Hong Kong cope with the severe economic hardship in the midst of the unprecedented pandemic.

Leung called on lawmakers across the political spectrum to put aside their political differences and discharge their constitutional duties in a rational manner. They should solve economic and livelihood issues with pragmatic approaches for the best interests of the community, he added.

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