Five prominent business and political figures are tipped to be elected to the nation's top legislative and advisory bodies after protracted negotiations among various interest groups.
Legislative Council president Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai is expected to be elected to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress at its annual plenary session, which begins on Wednesday, after a deal was reached between traditional leftists and local pro-Beijing groups.
Mrs Fan has been widely tipped to succeed retiring Standing Committee member Tsang Hin-chi. She became the frontrunner as Mr Tsang's successor when another woman seen as a contender for a Standing Committee seat, Basic Law Committee vice-chairwoman Elsie Leung Oi-sie, decided not to stand in the NPC election.
Some NPC deputies had wanted Mrs Fan as well as Cheng Yiu-tong, president of the Federation of Trade Unions, to be put forward to the Standing Committee to balance the interests between the traditional leftists and local pro-Beijing groups.
Both Mrs Fan, who has the support of local pro-Beijing groups, and Mr Cheng, who is favoured by traditional leftists, secured a large number of votes in the NPC election for local deputies in January.
Wong Kwok-kim, a local deputy, said the central government hoped that Standing Committee members would spend more time on their jobs.
'They were urged to spend more days in Beijing for joining the discussion of drafting bills,' Mr Wong said.