The Constitution and Law Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC) on Monday deliberated draft amendments to the Organic Law of the NPC and the Rules of Procedure for the NPC, as well as a draft NPC decision on improving the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's (HKSAR) electoral system.
The documents are being reviewed at the ongoing fourth session of the 13th NPC.
A statement issued after Monday's committee meeting said the draft amendments are relatively mature and the committee will submit a deliberation result report and draft decisions on revisions to the two documents to the session's presidium, which will decide on submitting the draft decisions on revisions to NPC delegations for further deliberation.
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The Constitution and Law Committee of the National People's Congress holds a meeting in Beijing, March 8, 2021. /Xinhua
The statement also said members of the NPC Constitution and Law Committee consider the content of the draft NPC decision on the HKSAR necessary and feasible, calling it a new constitutional institutional arrangement to have the democratic political system suit Hong Kong's realities.
The committee has put forward a deliberation result report and a revised version of the draft decision. The session's presidium will decide on submitting the revised version to NPC delegations for further deliberation.
The draft decision on the HKSAR was submitted to the NPC for deliberation on Friday. In an explanatory speech, Wang Chen, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said necessary measures must be taken to improve the electoral system and remove existing institutional risks to ensure the administration of Hong Kong by Hong Kong people with patriots as the main body.
A two-step approach, namely, "decision plus amendment," will be adopted, Wang said, adding that the NPC will make a decision in accordance with relevant laws in the first step, while in the second step, the NPC Standing Committee will amend Annex I and Annex II to the HKSAR Basic Law in accordance with relevant laws and the NPC decision.
(Cover: China's national flag and the flag of the HKSAR outside the High Speed Rail West Kowloon Station in Hong Kong, south China. /CFP)