According to a report in Sing Tao Daily today, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the Communist Party of China decided last year to delay the Legislative Council election for not less than one year, so the delay to December is still in line with the relevant decision.
The report cited reliable information that the government has tentatively scheduled to first elect the Election Committee in September, and the Legislative Council election in December.
The latest Legislative Council election was originally scheduled for Sept. 6 last year, but the Hong Kong government announced in the middle of last year that it would be postponed until Sept. 5 this year on the grounds of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Epidemic.
The English-language South China Morning Post recently cited sources as saying that the Legislative Council election will be delayed another year to September 2022, due to reforms in line with the Chief Executive Election Committee.
The report said that under Beijing‘s reform of Hong Kong’s electoral system, the number of EC members will increase from the current 1,200 to 1,500, and the number of lawmakers will rise from the current 70 to 90.
According to the report, the reformed EC will be given the power to elect some of the legislators, in addition to still electing the chief executive. Since the EC election is normally held in December, this year’s Legislative Council election will be delayed until September 2022.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said yesterday that it is unknown whether the Legislative Council election will be held as scheduled. But she said that if the EC is given the new function of electing legislators, it is logical that the EC should be elected first, and then to the Legislative Council.
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