What is the Legislative Council in Hong Kong: A 30-Second Guide.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's LegCo serves as a mini parliament with the mandate to create and amend laws for the city. However, electoral processes for this council have seen a sharp reduction in genuine political alternatives during a period of major governance overhauls in the last decade.
After the return to Chinese administration, a model of a dual-system arrangement was put in place, vowing that Hong Kong would maintain a degree of autonomy. In the years since, critics contend that these freedoms have been systematically curtailed.
Significant Events and Changes
In 2014, a bill was tabled that aimed to allow residents to elect the Chief Executive. Importantly, any such election was restricted to contenders vetted by Beijing.
The year 2019 saw months of demonstrations, which featured an episode where residents entered the government building to demonstrate against a proposed law.
The Consequence of the NSL
Implemented in mid-2020, the National Security Law granted new legal tools to Beijing over Hong Kong's internal matters. Activities such as collusion were criminalized. Following this law, every major democratic party ceased operations.
Today's Election System
Elections for the legislature are considered Hong Kong's key democratic event. But, rules introduced in the past few years now stipulate that only candidates deemed "patriots" are able to contest seats.
- Distribution of Seats: At present, only 20 out of 90 seats are filled by public ballot.
- Remaining Seats: The rest are appointed by a special interest groups.
- Code of Conduct: Newly proposed rules would mandate legislators to unequivocally back the mainland's oversight.
Public Response
Given most forms of protest now restricted, not voting has been seen as one of the remaining peaceful ways for residents to register discontent. Consequently unprecedentedly low electoral engagement in the latest LegCo elections.
