The nation's top legislature said Thursday it has received the report on Hong Kong's constitutional development submitted by Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa.

Hong Kong Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Stephen Lam Sui-lung, entrusted by Tung, came to Beijing Thursday to submit the report to the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee.

Tung's report contains a request to the NPC Standing Committee to determine if the methods for selecting the chief executive in 2007 and for forming the Legislative Council in 2008 can be amended.

Tung's report said that they "should be amended" so as to enable Hong Kong's constitutional development to move forward.

On the basis of the NPC Standing Committee's interpretation of Hong Kong Basic Law annexes on April 6, the chief executive submitted the report after consideration of relevant regulations in the Basic Law and all other factors, Lam said.

The report, on whether to amend methods for selecting Hong Kong's chief executive in 2007 and for formation of the Legislative Council in 2008, has been accepted by Deputy Secretary-General of the NPC Standing Committee Qiao Xiaoyang, who was entrusted by the meeting of NPC Standing Committee chairpersons.

The report and its annex will be immediately submitted to the meeting of the NPC Standing Committee chairs, said Qiao.

The Committee will discuss the report in accordance with relevant laws and legal procedures, and make decisions abiding by Article 45 and 68 of the Basic Law as well as on the basis of Hong Kong's reality and the step-by-step principle, he said.

The "one country, two systems," "Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong," and high-degree autonomy principles must continue to be observed strictly in implementation of the Basic Law, he said, expressing confidence that Hong Kong's democratic systems will be upheld in a healthy and stable fashion.

Tung explained his report at a news conference in Hong Kong Thursday. He said the Hong Kong government must pay heed to the views of the central government when it examined the direction and pace of its constitutional development.

Any proposed amendments must comply with the provisions of the Basic Law.

The chief executive has also received the second report by the Constitutional Development Task Force, which sets out the views of the Task Force on the issues of principle in the Basic Law relating to Hong Kong's constitutional development. It also takes into account public views gathered in the past two months or so.

Source: Xinhua