Hong Kong lawmakers will hold a three-day joint debate in early October on the cityโs annual policy address and first five-year plan, with Legislative Council president Starry Lee Wai-king seeking to extend the session so legislators have enough time to reflect residentsโ views.
The Legco earlier announced a combined debate from October 7 to 9, requested by the government, to cover both the motion of thanks on the policy address and a government motion on the five-year blueprint moved by the chief secretary.
โFor this first joint debate, I hope to secure a longer duration than before so that lawmakers will have more time for a comprehensive discussion,โ Lee said on Sunday, adding that final arrangements would be confirmed with the chief executive.
โThe two [documents] are definitely interconnected, and delivering and debating them together will help highlight their connection.โ
Expecting key elements of the policy address to feature in the five-year plan, Lee said a joint debate was appropriate and pledged to ensure lawmakers were allotted sufficient time to discuss both documents.
She also expected the five-year plan to outline middle- to long-term strategies for the city, particularly on technological advancement and economic growth, alongside targets for key livelihood issues such as housing, healthcare and labour.