Opinions solicited in drafting HK electoral system decision: official

BEIJING - The central authorities have heard and given serious consideration to the opinions of various parties while drafting the decision of the National People's Congress (NPC) on improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), a Chinese official said Friday.

Zhang Yong, deputy head of the Commission for Legislative Affairs of the NPC Standing Committee, made the remarks at a press conference.

Before drafting the decision, a specialized team composed of relevant central departments including law experts was set up to conduct thorough studies, said Zhang, adding that opinions of the HKSAR Chief Executive, principal officials of the HKSAR government, members of the Legislative Council and representatives from all walks of life in Hong Kong society were solicited multiple times during the process.

Given the impact of COVID-19, the central authorities directly listened to the views from all parties through conferences and symposiums held both online and offline, Zhang added.

During the fourth session of the 13th NPC, the draft decision was submitted to nearly 3,000 NPC deputies for repeated deliberation, said Zhang, noting that the fine-tuning suggestions put forward by the deputies had been carefully studied and taken on board by the NPC and relevant departments.

The NPC Standing Committee, authorized by the NPC decision, will strictly follow statutory procedures in the process of amending Annex I and Annex II to the Basic Law of HKSAR, continue to hear opinions from various sectors, and enhance communication and coordination with relevant parties, Zhang said.