Hong Kong File Photo: VCG

Chinese lawmakers on Friday passed a method for Hong Kong to elect deputies to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) at the closing meeting of the fifth session of the 13th NPC, which stressed that national legislators elected from the special administrative region must be firm patriots and those who have been convicted for harming national security be disqualified. 

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) should form an election council for the election of deputies to the 14th NPC, whose members are Chinese citizens of Hong Kong's election committee members, the method said. 

The Chief Executive of the HKSAR shall be a member of the election council for the deputies to the 14th NPC. 

Compared with the methods for Hong Kong to elect deputies to previous NPCs, the new method released on Friday stated that those who have been convicted by a court of harming national security will be disqualified.

At the same meeting, Chinese legislators approved a method for Macao Special Administrative Region to elect deputies to the 14th NPC. Wang Chen, vice-chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said in an explanatory speech on the two draft methods at the opening meeting of the fifth session of the 13th NPC that the methods detail the elections must adapt to new situations and changes, and must ensure that national legislators elected from Hong Kong and Macao are firm patriots who love the country and the two SARs.

As members of the highest organ of state power, the NPC deputies must be loyal to the country and must not commit any act endangering state security, Wang said, explaining the national security related article in the method. 

The method said Hong Kong should elect 36 deputies to the 14th NPC, and the total number was the same for 13th NPC. 

The method sets the number of election council members required to nominate one candidate for the NPC deputies from Hong Kong at 15, an increase of five from methods for deputies to previous NPCs. 

Candidates must declare in the registration process that they uphold the Constitution, the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the principle of "one country, two systems." They must also declare that they have not received any form of election-related funding from foreign institutions, organizations or individuals, the method said.

Chan Yung, a Hong Kong deputy to the NPC, told the Global Times on Friday that the improvement in Hong Kong's electoral system includes the election of deputies to the NPC, and after the passage of the method, the general principle of the electoral system will be more unified, highlighting the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong."

He said that the future deputies elected will be staunch patriots and of great help to Hong Kong's long-term peace and stability. 

Tam Yiu-chung, a member of the 13th NPC Standing Committee from Hong Kong, told the Global Times on Friday that the Hong Kong election committee members passed the review from the Candidate Eligibility Review Committee last year, which means that the 1,448 election committee members met the requirements of "loving the country, loving Hong Kong."

The election committee is composed of members from five sectors including  the industrial, commercial and financial sectors and LegCo members and representatives of district organizations.

The method has solicited opinions from the Chief Executive, NPC deputies and national political advisors from Hong Kong, and Tam said that "every one believes that this was a good method, conforming to the reality of Hong Kong and the principle of 'patriots governing Hong Kong.'" The deputies elected through this method will be capable of participating in national affairs management, he said.