Hong Kong legislature starts deliberating bill on improving electoral system

HONG KONG -- Hong Kong's legislature started Wednesday deliberating a bill on improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

The draft laws, in a package named the Improving Electoral System (Consolidated Amendments) Bill 2021, were brought to the Legislative Council (LegCo) for the first and second reading at a meeting that began Wednesday noon.

The local amendment came about two weeks after electoral revisions were passed by China's top legislature.

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress adopted on March 30 the amended Annex I and Annex II to the HKSAR Basic Law, which concerns methods for the selection of the HKSAR chief executive and the formation of the LegCo.

The bill mainly comprises six areas, including reconstituting the Election Committee, providing for the method for selecting the chief executive, updating the composition and formation of the LegCo, and the candidate eligibility, among others.

HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam said she hopes that the draft will be passed by lawmakers by the end of May.