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Backgrounder: Election Committee to elect Hong Kong SAR chief executive

Xinhua, December 12, 2016 Adjust font size:

According to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), Hong Kong SAR's chief executive shall be elected by a broadly representative election committee and appointed by the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China.

The Election Committee is composed of 1,200 members from different sectors: 300 from industrial, commercial and financial sectors; 300 from the professions; 300 from labour, social services, religious and other sectors; 300 are members of the Legislative Council, representatives of members of the District Councils, representatives of the Heung Yee Kuk, Hong Kong deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC), and representatives of Hong Kong members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

The election of the fifth Hong Kong SAR chief executive will take place on March 26, 2017, and candidates for the office shall be nominated jointly by no less than 150 members of the Election Committee; each member may nominate only one candidate.

The first Hong Kong SAR chief executive was elected in 1996 by a 400-member Selection Committee, while the second chief executive was elected in 2002 by the first Election Committee with 800 members.

On Aug. 28, 2010, the Standing Committee of the 11th NPC approved the amendment to Annex I to the Basic Law concerning the method for the selection of Hong Kong SAR chief executive, based on which the election committee was enlarged to 1,200 members.

The term of the office of the Election Committee shall be five years. Endit