HONG KONG - Hong Kong will complete local legislation on improving the city’s electoral system within the next 12 months, according to Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.

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In an interview with English-language cable TV news service CGTN, Lam said her five-year term of office will end in June 2022 and the Chief Executive election will be held in March 2022.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government will begin local legislation after the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress amends Annex I and Annex II of the Basic Law, Lam said, adding that at least 20 primary and subsidiary laws will be involved.

The HKSAR government will begin local legislation after the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress amends Annex I and Annex II of the Basic Law, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said, adding that at least 20 primary and subsidiary laws will be involved

China is taking a two-step “decision plus amendment” approach to improve Hong Kong’s electoral system, whereby the NPC – the nation’s top legislature - passes a decision first and the Standing Committee of the NPC amends Annex I and Annex II of the HKSAR’s Basic Law in accordance with the decision.

It’s a tight schedule as it will also take time for the SAR government to arrange the election after local legislation of the amendment is passed, Lam said. This arrangement includes voter registration, nomination of candidates and fixing the date of the election, Lam said.

Given that, she said she and her administration will give top priority to relevant work.

Lam also said that the improvements are not directed at “weeding out” dissidents, but to ensure that only patriots are governing the SAR. There will be a mechanism to vet candidates’ eligibility and a mechanism to deal with unfitting acts of those holding public office, she said.

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Hong Kong Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, in an interview with China Network Television on Tuesday, said the Department of Justice will strive to to complete the local legislation for the amendment in accordance with the “one country, two systems” and “patriots governing Hong Kong” principles.

With an improved electoral system, Cheng said she believes the city will see effective governance in which the legislature will return to a positive position in the political structure to allow people’s livelihood and economic issues to be solved objectively, rationally and reasonably.