Hong Kong legislature resumes 2nd reading of electoral bill

HONG KONG -- The Legislative Council (LegCo) of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) resumed the second reading of amendments to Hong Kong's electoral laws on Wednesday.

During debates of the bill on Wednesday afternoon, lawmakers stressed the significance of plugging loopholes of the electoral system in the HKSAR.

As anti-China disruptors exploited the loopholes to destabilize Hong Kong in the past, the improvement this time will right the wrongs at the institutional level and ensure the sustainable success of the implementation of "one country, two systems," LegCo member Liao Cheung-kong said.

Lee Wai-king, a lawmaker and chairperson of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, expected the quality of Hong Kong's democracy to be improved and the LegCo operation to be reasonable, peaceful and effective.

Improving the electoral system will guarantee the security of the HKSAR and enhance its administration, lawmaker Leung Mei-fun said.

The Improving Electoral System (Consolidated Amendments) Bill 2021 was brought to the LegCo on April 14 in an effort to push forward the local legislation of related amendments adopted earlier this year by the country's top legislature at the state level.

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.

After the passage of the electoral bill in the LegCo, Hong Kong will hold elections of the Election Committee and the LegCo on Sept. 19 and Dec. 19 this year, and the Chief Executive election on March 27, 2022.