CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION
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 election of the second term of the Legislative Council was held on September 10, 2000.
The 60 members of the second term of the Legislative Council comprise 24 members returned by geographical constituencies through direct elections, 30 members returned by functional constituencies representing different sectors of the community, and six members returned by an Election Committee comprising 800 elected representatives of the community. The President of the Legislative Council is elected by and from among the members of the council.
The second term of the Legislative Council began on October 1, 2000, and in accordance with the Basic Law and the Legislative Council Ordinance, the term of office will be four years.
Meetings of the Legislative Council
The Legislative Council normally meets on Wednesday afternoons 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 1999-2000 legislative session (from October 1999 to June 2000), the Legislative Council held 35 meetings. Three of these were devoted to the Chief Executive's Question and Answer Sessions. The council passed a total of 93 bills and asked 603 questions and 992 supplementary questions; 303 items of subsidiary legislation were tabled in the council for consideration, and the Administration moved 31 motions relating to subsidiary legislation for the council's approval by resolution. Members of the council moved 72 motions; 13 of these related to subsidiary legislation, five concerned the council's procedural and administrative matters, and 54 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 other important duties such as scrutinising bills, controlling public expenditure and monitoring the Government's performance through a system of committees. There are three standing committees 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
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