CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION
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for investigation, give a mandate to the Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal to form and chair an independent investigation committee. The committee shall be responsible for carrying out the investigation and reporting its findings to the council. If the committee considers the evidence sufficient to substantiate such charges, the council may pass a motion of impeachment by a two-thirds majority of all its members and report it to the Central People's Government for decision; and
10. To summon, as required when exercising the above-mentioned powers and
functions, persons concerned to testify or give evidence.
Composition
Under the Basic Law, the Legislative Council of the HKSAR shall be constituted by election. The first Legislative Council consists of 60 members, with 20 members returned by geographical constituencies through direct elections, 30 members returned by functional constituencies representing different sectors of the community, and 10 members returned by an Election Committee comprising 800 elected representatives of the community.
In accordance with the Basic Law and the Legislative Council Ordinance, the term of office of members of the first Legislative Council is two years. The terms of office of subsequent Legislative Councils will be four years. The President of the Legislative Council is elected by, and from among, members of the council.
Meetings of the Legislative Council
The Legislative Council normally meets every Wednesday afternoon in the Chamber of the Legislative Council Building to conduct business which includes tabling of subsidiary legislation and other papers and reports for the council's consideration; questions for replies by the Government; the introduction and consideration of bills and resolutions; and debates on motions relating to matters of public interest.
All Legislative Council meetings are open to the public and are conducted in Cantonese, Putonghua or English with simultaneous interpretation provided. The proceedings of the meetings are recorded verbatim in the Official Record of Proceedings of the Legislative Council.
During the 1998-99 legislative session, the Legislative Council held 45 meetings; three of these were for the Chief Executive's Question and Answer Sessions. The council passed a total of 66 bills and asked 791 questions and 1 289 supplementary questions. There were 322 items of subsidiary legislation tabled in the council for consideration, and the administration moved 25 resolutions relating to subsidiary legislation for the council's approval. Members of the council moved 93 motions; 14 of these related to subsidiary legislation, 11 concerned the council's procedural and administrative matters, and 68 were for debate on a wide spectrum of issues concerning public interests.
Besides transacting business at council meetings, members of the Legislative Council also perform their important duties of scrutinising bills, controlling public expenditure and monitoring the Government's performance through a system of committees. There are three standing committees, namely the Finance Committee, the Public Accounts Committee and the Committee on Members' Interests. The Legislative Council also has a House Committee, a Committee on Rules of Procedure