Hong Kong legislative election, 2016
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The 2016 Hong Kong Legislative Council election will be held on 4 September 2016 for the 6th Legislative Council of Hong Kong (LegCo). The election comes after the rejection of the constitutional reform proposals which suggested the electoral method for the 2016 Legislative Council remains unchanged.
Background
Electoral reform and Umbrella Revolution
The election comes after the rejection of constitutional reform proposals carried out by the Leung Chun-ying administration in mid-2015. The constitutional reform proposals suggested the electoral method for the Legislative Council (LegCo) in 2016 to be unchanged as the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) ruled out the possible universal suffrage in 2016 but states that the LegCo may be elected by universal suffrage after the Chief Executive (CE) is elected by universal suffrage which may be implemented in 2017,[1]
On 31 August 2014, the NPCSC set limits for the 2016 Legislative Council and 2017 Chief Executive elections. While allowing the CE to be elected by all electorates, "unpatriotic" candidates would have to be screened out by a Beijing-controlled nominating committee. The NPCSC decision also reaffirms the electoral method for the 2016 remains unchanged.[2] In response to the NPCSC decision, the Hong Kong Federation of Students and the student pressure group Scholarism staged a co-ordinated class boycott which later led into a months-long large-scale occupy movement, as proposed by the Occupy Central movement, which was referred as the "Umbrella Revolution.[3][4]
The government proposals eventually failed to gain the required two-thirds support in the Legislative Council as the pan-democrats vetoed it on 18 June 2015. In response to the occupy movement and reform, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying urged the voters to "punish" the opposition democratic candidates by voting them out in the upcoming legislative election.[5]
Thunderbolt plan
Occupy Central co-founder Benny Tai, who was inspired by the electoral victory the Democratic Progressive Party received in the 2016 Taiwanese legislative election, has mapped out a "thunderbolt plan" for pan-democrats to grab half of the seats in the Legislative Council election in order to have much stronger bargaining power in future political reform. He suggests the non-pro-Beijing camp to field no more than 23 lists if their goal is to win 23 seats in the geographical constituencies, six tickets for nine-seat New Territories West and New Territories East, four tickets for six-seat Hong Kong Island and Kowloon West, and three for five-seat Kowloon East respectively.[6]
For the functional constituencies, Tai suggested that besides retaining the current six trade-based functional constituencies and three District Council (Second) super seats, the camp needs to target three additional seats in Medical, Engineering and Architectural, Surveying and Planning.[6]
Tai has met with reservations from some pro-democracy politicians. Democrat legislator Sin Chung-kai said Tai’s idea would be "difficult to implement" as doubted the umbrella soldiers and radical parties would be willing to collaborate. Albert Chan of radical People Power dismissed Tai’s scheme as "nightmare".[6] Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood (ADPL) chairwoman Rosanda Mok on the other hand has been actively attempted in implementing the plan.
Emergence of new political forces
The emergence of new political groups led by young activists is set to shake up the political landscape of Hong Kong. Hong Kong Indigenous, a pro-independence localist group, faire well in the February New Territories East by-election by receiving more than 66,000 votes, coming third after pan-democratic Civic Party and pro-Beijing DAB, gaining about 15 percent of the total votes. A day after the election, localist groups including Wong Yuk-man's Proletariat Political Institute, Wong Yeung-tat's Civic Passion and Chin Wan's Hong Kong Resurgence Order announced a plan to field candidates in all five geographical constituencies.[7]
On 10 April 2016. six post-Occupy organisations, Youngspiration, East Kowloon Community, Tin Shui Wai New Force, Cheung Sha Wan Community Establishment Power, Tsz Wan Shan Constructive Power and Tuen Mun Community, political groups formed after the Umbrella Revolution, formed an electoral alliance planned to field candidates in four of the five geographical constituencies with the agenda to put forward a referendum on Hong Kong's self-determination.[8] Hong Kong Indigenous and another new pro-independence Hong Kong National Party also stated that they will run in the upcoming election.
On the same day on 10 April 2016, the student leaders in the Umbrella Revolution, Joshua Wong, Oscar Lai and Agnes Chow of Scholarism and Nathan Law of the Hong Kong Federation of Students (HKFS) also formed a new party Demosisto which was inspired by Taiwan's New Power Party which was formed by the Sunflower Movement leaders and fared well in the 2016 Taiwanese legislative election.[9] The new party calls for referendum on Hong Kong's future after 2047 when the One Country, Two Systems is supposed to expire.[10] The party aimed at fielding candidates in Hong Kong Island and Kowloon East, facing competitions from other new political groups while posing challenge to the traditional pan-democracy camp.
Due to the soaring number of candidates which may split the pro-democracy votes, political scientist Professor Ma Ngok said the pro-democracy candidates might all suffer the same fate amid infighting, even under proportional representation.[11]
New structure of the Legislative Council
Geographical constituencies
Total seats of geographical constituencies remained at 35 seats as the constitutional reform proposal was rejected in 2015 which suggest the electoral method for the 2016 Legislative Council remains unchanged. However due to the change in population in five geographical constituencies, the Electoral Affairs Commission allocated six seats each for Hong Kong Island constituency and Kowloon West constituency, five seats for Kowloon East, and nine seats each for New Territories West and New Territories East.[12] The election uses a system of party-list proportional representation, with seats allocated by the largest remainder method using the Hare quota as the quota for election.
| Geographical constituencies | No. of seats | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 2016 | Change | |||
| Hong Kong Island | 7 | 6 | -1 | ||
| Kowloon West | 5 | 6 | +1 | ||
| Kowloon East | 5 | 5 | ±0 | ||
| New Territories West | 9 | 9 | ±0 | ||
| New Territories East | 9 | 9 | ±0 | ||
| Total | 35 | 35 | ±0 | ||
Contesting parties and candidates
Pro-Beijing camp
- Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB): Four long-time incumbents, Jasper Tsang, who is also the Legislative Council President, Tam Yiu-chung, Chan Kam-lam and Ip Kwok-him will step down. Cheung Kwok-kwan and Wilson Or Chong-shing will take up the candidacy in Hong Kong Island and Kowloon East respectively, while the New Territories East by-election candidate will run in District Council (Second) alongside with chairwoman Starry Lee.[13] The party will also set up an unprecedented intra-party primary for the District Council (First) functional constituency after incumbent Ip Kwok-him announced his retirement. Chan Hok-fung, vice chairman of the Central and Western District Council backed by Ip faces challenges from Sham Shui Po District Councillor Vincent Cheng Wing-shun, Kwun Tong District Council vice chairman Hung Kam-in, and North District Councillor Lau Kwok-fan who has been nominated by legislators Leung Che-cheung and Chan Han-pan.[14] Lau Kwok-fun was reported winner of the primary.[15]
- Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (FTU): Wong Kwok-hing, the incumbent legislator for Hong Kong Island has been tipped to run in the District Council (Second) seat, replacing the retiring Chan Yuen-han.
- New Progressive Alliance (NPA): Bounded by the law which disallows the Heung Yee Kuk to function as a political party, the New Territories rural leaders led by Hau Chi-keung are actively planning to set up a new party for the September election to represent rural indigenous interests.
Pan-democracy camp
- Civic Party: The Civics received 17 nominations for the intra-party primary on 27 January 2016. Three incumbents, Claudia Mo, Kwok Ka-ki and Dennis Kwok will seek for re-election while party leader Alan Leong and Kenneth Chan decided to step down.[16] Jeremy Janson Tam Man-ho will seek for nomination for replacing Leung in Kowloon East and Tanya Chan will contest in Hong Kong Island after she failed to get re-elected standing in Kenneth Chan's ticket in 2012. Sumly Chan, a Tsuen Wan District Councillor, will also seek for nomination to run in the District Council (Second) "super seat".
- Democratic Party: The Democrats are the first to set up unprecedented intra-party pre-election primaries for the candidacies for the Legislative Council elections. Chairwoman Emily Lau proposed a primary on by all party members at the annual meeting after a forum in each constituency where the public could question potential candidates,[17] but was eventually cancelled. On 31 December 2015, a total number of 14 nominations were received. Incumbents Emily Lau, Albert Ho and Sin Chung-kai will not seek re-election.[18]
- Labour Party: All three of the directly elected Labour incumbents, Lee Cheuk-yan, Cyd Ho and Fernando Cheung will seek for re-election, while new chairwoman Suzanne Wu and vice-chairman Chiu Shi-shun will seek for nominations in Kowloon East and Kowloon West respectively. The nomination will be confirmed in the party congress in June.[19]
- League of Social Democrats (LSD) and People Power: The League and the People Power, radical faction in the pan-democracy camp, are planning to form an electoral alliance in the name of "progressive democrats". The League will field four candidates, incumbent Leung Kwok-hung, new chairman Avery Ng as well as a ticket with two vice-chairmen Wong Ho-ming and Derek Chan Tak-cheung.[20] Chairwoman Erica Yuen and Tam Tak-chi will also represent People Power to run in other constituencies.[21]
- Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood (ADPL): Although barring from running in the same constituency as he lost his District Council seat in the 2015 local election, incumbent District Council (Second) legislator Frederick Fung intends to run in the geographical constituency in the September election. 2012 candidate and vice-chairman Tam Kwok-kiu narrowly defeated chairwoman Rosanda Mok in the primary for Kowloon West, while Sham Shui Po District Councillor Ho Kai-ming intends to run in the District Council (Second) seat.[22]
- Neighbourhood and Worker's Service Centre (NWSC): The long-time legislator Leung Yiu-chung for the NWSC is actively considering running in the District Council (Second) constituency.
- Neo Democrats: Once vowed not to participate in the District Council (Second) constituency created under the Democratic Party's modified reform proposals in 2010 which the Neo Democrats broke away from the party to oppose it, the Neo Democrats has announced that it will consider fielding incumbent legislator Gary Fan in District Council (Second). Besides its current seat in New Territories East, It has considered fielding candidate in Kowloon East and New Territories West.[21]
- Demosisto: Chairman Nathan Law and film director Shu Kei are considering running in Hong Kong Island while Oscar Lai is considering Kowloon East.[10]
Localist groups
- Localist groups including Wong Yuk-man's Proletariat Political Institute, Wong Yeung-tat's Civic Passion and Chin Wan's Hong Kong Resurgence Order announced a plan to field candidates in all five geographical constituencies. The initial candidates are Wong Yuk-man and Wong Yeung-tat for Kowloon West and East, Chin Wan for New Territories East, Cheng Chung-tai for New Territories West and Alvin Cheng for Hong Kong Island.[7]
- An electoral alliance formed by six post-Occupy groups, Youngspiration, East Kowloon Community, Tin Shui Wai New Force, Cheung Sha Wan Community Establishment Power, Tsz Wan Shan Constructive Power and Tuen Mun Community, is also considering running in Hong Kong Island, Kowloon East and West and New Territories West.[8] They will reserve a seat for Hong Kong Indigenous in New Territories East.[23]
- Other localist groups announced their interest in running included the Hong Kong National Party.
Centrist groups
- Centrist groups announced their interest in running included the Third Side, Professional Power and Path of Democracy.
Retiring incumbents
See also
References
- ↑ The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (2013). Methods for Selecting the Chief Executive in 2017 and for Forming the Legislative Council in 2016 Consultation Document (PDF). p. 3.
- ↑ "Full text of NPC decision on universal suffrage for HKSAR chief selection". Xinhua. 31 August 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
- ↑ "'Snitch line' in operation against school boycotters in H.K.". GlobalPost. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
- ↑ Yung, Chester; Ngai, Edward (21 August 2014). "Hong Kong Students to Boycott Classes If Democracy Demands Aren't Met". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
- ↑ Ong, Larry (25 March 2015). "Hong Kong’s Leader Calls on Voters to Oust the Opposition". Epoch Times.
- 1 2 3 Ng, Joyce (4 February 2016). "Thunderbolt plan: Benny Tai devises proposal for Hong Kong pan-democrats to win half of legislative seats in September poll". South China Morning Post.
- 1 2 "本土組織將派5人出選立會 陳雲或出戰新界東". Apple Daily. 29 February 2016.
- 1 2 "青年新政等六組織 組聯盟戰立會 倡2021香港自決公投". Stand News. 10 April 2016.
- ↑ "效法時代力量突圍 香港學運領袖擬組黨參政". Liberty Times. 17 February 2016.
- 1 2 "香港眾志成立 羅冠聰、舒琪、黎汶洛出選立會". Stand News. 10 April 2016.
- ↑ Lam, Jeffie (11 April 2016). "Hong Kong’s new pro-democracy groups pose new problems for traditional pan-democrat camp". South China Morning Post.
- ↑ http://www.eac.gov.hk/pdf/legco/2016/2016boundaries/ch/seat.pdf
- ↑ "政情 民建聯9月立會參選名單 「四元老」引退 周浩鼎戰超區". HK01. 5 March 2016.
- ↑ "政情 民建聯落實真‧選舉". Now TV. 4 February 2016.
- ↑ "民建聯初選 劉國勳得票勝三對手 料接葉國謙棒選立會". HK01. 24 March 2016.
- ↑ "公民黨公布有意參選立法會名單梁家傑陳家洛無報名". Commercial Radio Hong Kong.
- ↑ Lam, Jeffie (5 December 2015). "Hong Kong's Democratic Party to vote on pre-election primary proposal". South China Morning Post.
- ↑ Lam, Jeffie (31 December 2015). "Hong Kong Democratic Party leader Emily Lau decides not to seek re-election in 2016". South China Morning Post.
- ↑ "【立會選舉】工黨擬於五區派人參選 李卓人何秀蘭張超雄尋求連任". HK01. 18 February 2016.
- ↑ "社民連公布立法會選舉初選名單". Cable TV news. 21 February 2016.
- 1 2 "范國威「轉軚」 擬選超區議席 當年反政改退民主黨 今稱為開拓本土票源". Ming Pao. 2 March 2016.
- ↑ "民協何啟明欲選「超級」 嫌民協老鬼唔識講sound bite". HK01. 26 January 2016.
- ↑ "青年新政：立會選舉不會與本民前撞區出選". Now News. 1 March 2016.
External links
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