INDEPTH: CHINA
Elections in the new Hong Kong
CBC News Online | September 13, 2004
Hundreds of thousands of people gather at Hong Kong's Victoria Park
before a massive march Thursday, July 1, 2004, as they demanding full
democracy and venting anger at the central government for denying them
the right to elect a successor to the territory's unpopular leader. (AP Photo/Lo Sai Hung)
Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmaker Martin Lee waves on the campaign trail
at a Hong Kong downtown street Friday, Sept. 10, 2004. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
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Sept. 12, 2004:
Hong Kong's democrats fell short on expectations in legislative election Sept. 12, 2004, gaining only three new seats as the Beijing camp continued to keep a tight grip on power.
Pro-democracy candidates won 25 of the territory's 60 seats, up from 22 in the current legislature but not enough to give them much more bargaining ability.
They had hoped to win as many as 28 seats, which would have let them defeat legislation proposed by the government with a few swing votes from moderates on the pro-Beijing side.
The pro-Beijing coalition's total remained unchanged at 34 seats, including 12 of the 30 seats chosen by popular vote. That's up from just seven in the 2000 election, a jump that observers partially attributed to a desire to protect the economic stability that depends on the mainland. The remaining seat went to an Independent.
Critics immediately complained that the election was unfairly rigged to favour Beijing. The electoral system gives special interest groups – business and professional groups that mostly support the mainland – the right to pick half the seats. As well, polling stations ran short on ballot boxes, leading some people to leave without casting a
vote.
Yet the opposition counted some victories in the election, including a win by Hong Kong's most famous protester, "Longhair" Leung Kwok-hung. He's renowned for heckling the unpopular Beijing-chosen Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa while sporting a trademark Che Guevara T-shirt.
Political unrest has marked the territory for more than a year, since 500,000 marchers took to the streets and forced Tung to withdraw a controversial anti-subversion law.
Beijing's recent decision to rule out full democracy for an indefinite time also fuelled public anger. When China regained control over Hong Kong in 1997 after 156 years of British rule, it promised to allow the territory a large degree of autonomy, under a "one country, two systems" approach.
The following is a timeline of elections and other political developments in Hong Kong since the handover to China.
July 1, 2004: More than 500,000 people march through downtown Hong Kong to demand faster democratic reforms from China's leaders.
CBC STORY: 500,000 march for democracy in Hong Kong
April 26, 2004: China's top legislative panel rules that Hong Kong will not have direct elections for its leader in 2007, as outlined in Hong Kong Basic Law, saying any political reforms will have to be introduced gradually.
CBC STORY: China bars Hong Kong from electing leader in 2007
April 7, 2004: A Chinese parliamentary committee decides it has a veto over Hong Kong elections based on its interpretation of Hong Kong Basic Law.
CBC STORY: China stomps on Hong Kong's autonomy
Sept. 5, 2003: Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-Hwa withdraws a controversial anti-subversion law.
CBC STORY: Hong Kong withdraws anti-subversion law
Children wave flags of China and Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region (SAR) as they wait for the arrival of Chinese President Jiang
Zemin and his entourage at the Hong Kong international airport Sunday,
June 30, 2002. (AP Photo/Anat Givon)
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July 1, 2003: About 500,000 people march against the Hong Kong government, prompted by a poor economy and a proposed new anti-subversion law. A week later the government would postpone the vote on the bill indefinitely and the leader of the Liberal party, a member of Chief Executive Tung's cabinet, would resign over the bill.
CBC STORY: Huge protest over Hong Kong security law
Sept. 10, 2000: In the election for legislative council, the Democratic party remains the biggest opposition party, but loses some ground to pro-Beijing candidates.
CBC STORY: Pro-China party makes gains in Hong Kong election
January 1999: Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal declares that mainland Chinese with at least one parent born in Hong Kong – more than 1.5 million people – could move to the territory. Some Hong Kong officials worry the decision could lead to overcrowding and could jeopardize Hong Kong's autonomy.
May 24, 1998: Elections held for the 24 elected seats on the legislative council. Under Hong Kong Basic Law, 24 seats are elected and the remaining 30 are appointed. The legislative council replaces the temporary provincial legislature appointed by Beijing after the handover.
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Background on the pre-existing tension between China and Japan from The Hour.
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