Understanding the Legislative Council in the Hong Kong SAR: A 30-Second Explanation.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's LegCo operates as a regional legislature with the authority to enact and revise statutes for the city. However, elections for this council have witnessed a sharp reduction in substantive competing voices during a period of major political changes in recent years.
After the 1997 handover, a framework of "one country, two systems" was promised, guaranteeing that Hong Kong would retain a level of independence. Gradually, critics contend that civil liberties have been increasingly eroded.
Key Events and Changes
During 2014, legislation was put forward that was designed to allow residents to elect the head of government. Importantly, this process was restricted to contenders pre-approved by central authorities.
In 2019 was marked by months of protests, which featured an event where protesters breached the government building to express anger against a proposed legal amendment.
The Effect of the NSL
Passed in mid-2020, the NSL handed extensive authority to central authorities over Hong Kong's governance. Activities such as subversion were criminalized. After this law, every major democratic party ceased operations.
Today's Election Process
LegCo elections are regarded as Hong Kong's primary democratic process. Nevertheless, rules introduced in the past few years now ensure that only hopefuls deemed pro-establishment are eligible to contest seats.
- Membership Structure: Currently, only 20 out of 90 seats are chosen by popular vote.
- Other Positions: The rest are selected by a special interest groups.
- New Rules: Recent drafted standards would compel legislators to "sincerely support" the mainland's oversight.
Electoral Turnout
With most forms of protest now restricted, voter abstention has been seen as one of the remaining safe ways for residents to express dissent. As a result record low voter turnout in subsequent LegCo polls.
