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Hong Kong Vacation Trips
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Hong Kong Governance
In accordance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and reflecting the policy known as "one country, two systems", Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region in all areas except defence and foreign affairs. The declaration stipulates that the region maintain its capitalist economic system and guarantees the rights and freedoms of its people for at least 50 years beyond the 1997 handover. The Basic Law is the constitutional document that outlines the executive, legislative and judicial authorities of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, although final authority for interpreting the Basic Law rests with the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.
The primary institutions of government are:
* The executive: The Executive Council, headed by the Chief Executive who is elected by the Election Committee and then appointed by the Central People's Government;
o The civil service: A politically neutral body that implements policies and provides government services, where public servants are appointed based on meritocracy;
* The legislature: The Legislative Council has 60 members, half of which are directly elected by universal suffrage by permanent residents of Hong Kong according to 5 geographical constituencies. The other half, known as functional constituencies, are directly elected by a smaller electorate which consists of corporate bodies and natural persons from various stipulated functional sectors. It is headed by the President of the Legislative Council who serves as the speaker;
* The judiciary: The Judiciary of Hong Kong, comprising the Court of Final Appeal, the High Court (which includes the Court of Appeal and the Court of First Instance), the District Court et cetera. Judges are appointed by the Chief Executive on the recommendation of an independent commission.
The implementation of the Basic Law and universal suffrage have been major issues of political debate since the transfer of sovereignty. In 2002, the government's proposed anti-subversion bill pursuant to Article 23 of the Basic Law, which required the enactment of laws prohibiting acts of treason and subversion against the Chinese government, was met with fierce opposition, and eventually shelved. Debate between pro-Beijing groups and Pan-democracy camp characterises Hong Kong's political scene, with the latter supporting a faster pace of democratisation.
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