The draft methods for electing national legislators from China's Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SAR) were submitted on Thursday to the Fifth Session of the Tenth National People's Congress (NPC), the top legislature, for examination.

The Hong Kong SAR will have 36 members in the 11th NPC, and Macao will have 12 members. The figures are the same as those in the current tenth NPC, according to the drafts.

"The draft methods have drawn experience from previous elections and will simplify election procedures," said Sheng Huaren, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, noting preliminary elections will not be held this time.

An electoral conference comprising more than 1,300 people will be formed in Hong Kong, who will have extensive representation of local residents of various social sectors. Similarly, a 300-person electoral conference will be set up in Macao for selecting the region's 11th NPC deputies.

The elections will be held at the end of this year and early next year, prior to the first session of the 11th NPC in March next year.

Hong Kong and Macao residents who want to run for top legislators should be nominated by at least ten members of the local electoral conference, according to the draft methods.

In late 2002, the electoral conference for electing Hong Kong SAR deputies to the tenth NPC was composed of 956 people, while the conference for electing Macao's tenth NPC deputies consisted of 203 people.

The elections of the 11th NPC deputies from Hong Kong and Macao will be held under the supervision of the NPC Standing Committee.

(Xinhua News Agency March 9, 2007)