On 10 March, 2005, the Central People’s Government (CPG) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) accepted the resignation of Mr Tung Chee-hwa, the chief executive (CE) of Hong Kong.
Under the constitution of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), a new CE has to be elected within six months or it will face a constitutional crisis. Conducted by a committee of 800 members, the election will take place on 10 July, 2005. But one issue remains unresolved and highly controversial – whether the new CE should serve a full term of five years or just the remaining two years of Mr Tung’s term.
