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Constitution and Administration
The HKSAR Government will initiate, at an appropriate time, the constitutional process to formulate the methods for forming the Legislative Council in 2016 and for electing the Chief Executive in 2017, and consult widely with various sectors of the community in the process.
Electoral System for the District Councils
The HKSAR's 18 District Councils advise the Government on district affairs and promote recreational and cultural activities, and environmental improvements within the districts. A District Council is composed of elected members, appointed members, and, in the case of District Councils in the New Territories, the chairmen of rural committees as ex officio members. The simple majority voting system is adopted for elections. For the fourth-term councils (2012- 2015), the HKSAR is divided into 412 constituencies, each represented by one elected member.
Electoral Affairs Commission
The Electoral Affairs Commission, an independent statutory body, is responsible for ensuring that elections in the HKSAR are conducted in an open, honest and fair manner and in accordance with the law. It comprises three politically neutral persons appointed by the Chief Executive. Headed by a High Court Judge, the commission is responsible for making recommendations to the Chief Executive on the delineation of Legislative Council geographical constituencies and District Council constituencies, making regulations on practical arrangements for the Chief Executive election, the Legislative Council election, the District Council election and rural elections, and handling complaints relating to these elections. The Registration and Electoral Office, a government department headed by the Chief Electoral Officer, works under the commission's direction and carries out its decisions.
Structure of the Administration
The Chief Executive is the head of the HKSAR Government. The Chief Secretary for Administration, the Financial Secretary or the Secretary for Justice deputises for the Chief Executive during any temporary absence.
The Chief Secretary for Administration and the Financial Secretary together supervise the work of 12 policy bureaux, each headed by a Director of Bureau (usually referred to as the bureau's 'Secretary'), responsible for a different policy portfolio. Together, they form the Government Secretariat. There are 56 departments. The Audit Commission reports to the Chief Executive, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority reports to the Financial Secretary while the Department of Justice reports to the Secretary for Justice. The remaining 53 departments are responsible to the relevant bureau secretaries for the efficient implementation of approved policies.
In addition, the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the Office of The Ombudsman and the Public Service Commission report directly to the Chief Executive.
The Chief Secretary for Administration, the Financial Secretary, the Secretary for Justice and the 12 Directors of Bureaux are politically appointed and defined as 'principal officials' in the Basic Law. They are appointed by the Central People's Government on the nomination of the Chief Executive for a five-year term, which will not exceed the term of the Chief Executive who nominates them for appointment. They are all members of the Executive Council (the
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