"I, together with the governing team of the HKSAR Government, would like to pledge our staunch support for and sincere gratitude to the passage of the Decision on improving the electoral system of the HKSAR by the NPC this afternoon," Lam said in a statement published on the HKSAR government's website.
The chief executive stressed that Beijing implemented the initiative to adjust Hong Kong's electoral system, so it fits the so-called one country, two systems principle.
"Having considered the actual situation in Hong Kong, the Central Authorities take the initiative from the national level to improve the electoral system of Hong Kong, aiming to ensure that Hong Kong can stay true to the original aspiration in implementing the principle of 'One Country, Two Systems' and get Hong Kong back on the right track," Lam said.
According to the chief executive, the electoral system reform envisaged that the region's election committee would be expanded and authorized not only to elect the chief executive, but also nominate lawmakers and elect some of the legislators.
"I note that the expanded and broadly representative Election Committee (EC) which should reflect the overall interest of Hong Kong is the core element of the improvement to the electoral system. The reconstituted EC will not only nominate and elect the Chief Executive, but also be endowed with the new function of nominating candidates for the Legislative Council (LegCo) election and electing some of the legislators," Lam said.
Lam added that the reform would improve the efficiency of Hong Kong's Legislative Council, and put an end to the protest movement in the region.
"I firmly believe that, after ... loopholes of the existing electoral system are plugged, we will be able to resolve the problem of the LegCo making everything political in recent years and effectively deal with the reckless moves or internal rift that have torn Hong Kong apart. It will then allow us to leverage our unique advantages to develop the economy and improve livelihood of our citizens with the staunch support of the Central Authorities," Lam said.
Earlier in the day, the Chinese parliament adopted the resolution at the final parliamentary session with 2,895 votes in favor of the reform and just one abstention.
From 2019-2020, Hong Kong witnessed a series of protests against the city leadership and the central government, accompanied by violent clashes with the police and assaults on state facilities. In June 2020, China adopted a law that adjusted security policies in Hong Kong to Beijing's perception of crime and punishment with regard to separatism, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign countries. The law sparked mass protests in Hong Kong, as the critics of the law feared that it might limit Hong Kong's exclusive rights and freedoms. Meanwhile, Beijing insists the law aims at punishing illegal activities in the city without harming the fundamental freedoms of the local population.
