Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor meets the press at Central Government Offices on March 16, 2021. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)
Hong Kong’s top leader on Tuesday said the process of amending local laws to facilitate the implementation of an improved electoral system will make it “quite difficult” to hold legislative elections on Sept 5 as scheduled.
Meeting the press before an Executive Council meeting on Tuesday, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said the government will propose changes in a comprehensive manner and fully cooperate with the legislature to speed up deliberations.
The National People's Congress, China's top legislature, on March 11 adopted a decision on improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
The National People's Congress, China's top legislature, on March 11 adopted a decision on improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
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After the NPC Standing Committee revises Annex I and Annex II of the Basic Law, the HKSAR government will begin the process of amending more than 20 local laws and apply the improved system in the next Legislative Council, Election Committee and Chief Executive elections.
Lam has said that the amendments and the elections will be completed by March next year.
The chief executive also expressed gratitude to the central government for sending officials to Hong Kong to solicit opinions on how to improve the city’s electoral system, as the consultation entered its second day.
READ MORE: Central authorities seek HK opinion on electoral reform
The three-day event, organized by high-level central government departments, aims to collect opinions from a wide range of sectors on the electoral reforms.