Over a two-day session that started on Monday, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress approved a plan to reform the electoral system of Hong Kong, including the procedures for electing the region's head, forming the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, as well as the voting procedures.
The plan, proposed earlier in March, envisages that the region's election committee will be expanded from 1,200 to 1,500 members to include lawmakers, technocrats, bankers, industrialists, leaders of religious and grassroots organizations. The committee will also be authorized not only to elect the chief executive but also nominate lawmakers and elect some of the legislators. The Legislative Council will also be expanded and include 90 lawmakers instead of 70.
The special administrative region's head will be now elected via a secret ballot, with each elector having one vote. To win, a candidate must receive more than half of the votes.
With the Chinese leader finalizing the changes, the amendments will take effect on Wednesday.
