CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION
The Electoral System
Electoral System for the Legislative Council
In accordance with the Basic Law, the Legislative Council of the HKSAR is constituted by elections, and the method for its formation is to be specified in the light of the actual situation in the HKSAR in accordance with the principle of gradual and orderly progress.
The composition of the first three terms of the Legislative Council as set out in the Basic Law is as follows:-
Membership
(a) elected by
geographical
constituencies through
direct elections
First term (1998-2000)
Second term (2000-2004)
Third term (2004-2008)
20
24
30
(b) elected by functional
30
30
30
constituencies
(c) elected by an election.
committee
918
60
10
6
60
60
18
The election to the second term of the Legislative Council will be held in September 2000. The HKSAR Government will conduct a large-scale voter registration campaign to encourage all eligible persons to get registered as electors. The HKSAR Government will also seek to encourage registered electors to come out to vote in the September election.
The Basic Law provides that changes to the method for the formation of the Legislative Council after 2007 may be made by a two-thirds majority of all Members of the Legislative Council and with the consent of the Chief Executive. Any such changes are to be reported to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for the record. The Basic Law also provides that the ultimate aim is the election of all the members of the Legislative Council by universal suffrage.
(a) Geographical Constituency
Geographical constituency elections are held on the basis of universal suffrage. All eligible persons aged 18 or above have the right to be registered as electors and to vote in the elections. There are 2.83 million registered electors in the 1999 Final Register.
The HKSAR is divided into five geographical constituencies, each having four to six seats. The List Voting System operating under the Largest Remainder formula, which is a form of proportional representation voting, is adopted. Under this system, candidates contest the election in the form of lists. Each list may consist of any number of candidates up to the number of seats in the relevant constituency. An