在线国产一区二区_成人黄色片在线观看_国产成人免费_日韩精品免费在线视频_亚洲精品美女久久_欧美一级免费在线观看

July by-election will reveal new HK chief
By Eddie Luk (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-03-16 02:27

Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government is making efforts to guarantee that the new chief executive can be elected in the July 10 by-election so as to satisfy the common desires of Hong Kong citizens and fulfil its duties as prescribed in the Basic Law, said acting Chief Executive Donald Tsang yesterday.

Acting Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang puts aside his briefcase during a meeting with lawmakers at the Legislative Council March 15, 2005. [Reuters]

By doing so, Tsang said, it would eliminate political uncertainty and consolidate social stability and economic development.

Attending a special meeting of the Legislative Council (LegCo)'s House Committee, Tsang also cautioned that if some politicians advocated a full five-year term for the next chief executive and mounted legal challenges against the SAR government decision which says the term of the next chief executive will be two years, it would deal a blow to the progress of SAR constitutional development.

Some politicians have claimed the government position breaches the Basic Law and would not rule out filing a judicial review to the court, Tsang noted. "We will try our best to overcome any challenges and difficulties. Anyone who attempts to mount the legal challenge should think about the public aspirations," said Tsang, who appeared in LegCo for the first time after taking up the SAR's first-in-command post.

Tsang said the present law states that a new chief executive must be elected within 120 days after the office becoming vacant.

Should the legal challenge do take place, Tsang said he is highly confident that local courts would rule in favour of the government's decision.

Also, Tsang yesterday admitted the government's original understanding of the Basic Law regarding the chief executive's term of tenure had been incorrect.

Secretary for Justice Elsie Leung changed her original position that the term of tenure should be two year, not a full five years, a move later backed by the National People's Congress (NPC) Legislative Affairs Commission.

When the government introduced the Chief Executive Election Bill in 2001, the government held the view that if a new chief executive was elected to fill a vacancy, his term of office should run afresh for five years. After seeking opinions from mainland legal experts, Leung said the legislative intent of the relevant provisions was that the chief executive should just serve the remaining years.

In response to lawmakers' criticism that the government made a U-turn in the interpretation of the Basic Law for political expediency, Tsang said in some circumstances the interpretation of the Basic Law regarding constitutional affairs may vary in Hong Kong, which has adopted the common law system.

Close

Today's Top News     Top China News
Law against secession to benefit Straits ties         Back words with action, Dalai told         July by-election will reveal new HK chief         Heilongjiang coal mine accident kills 17         Russia paid $10M for Maskhadov information         Italy to pull troops from Iraq in Sept.	Search for regular and willing blood donors       Shoppers of the world unite on rights       Back words with action, Dalai told       Sans school students prompt alerts       July by-election will reveal new HK chief       Anti-Secession Law widely hailed