Lawmaker Raymond Chan Chi-chuen (right) takes a strong stand during the election of the chairman of the Legislative Council’s finance committee on October 14. Across two days, pro-democracy lawmakers raised repeated procedural questions and tried to delay the proceedings. Photo: May Tse Lawmaker Raymond Chan Chi-chuen (right) takes a strong stand during the election of the chairman of the Legislative Council’s finance committee on October 14. Across two days, pro-democracy lawmakers raised repeated procedural questions and tried to delay the proceedings. Photo: May Tse
Lawmaker Raymond Chan Chi-chuen (right) takes a strong stand during the election of the chairman of the Legislative Council’s finance committee on October 14. Across two days, pro-democracy lawmakers raised repeated procedural questions and tried to delay the proceedings. Photo: May Tse
Peter Emerson
Opinion

Opinion

Peter Emerson

How Hong Kong’s democracy can evolve to break the ‘blue’ versus ‘yellow’ political deadlock

  • While most elected bodies in democracies make decisions based on binary voting, the winner-takes-all approach will only widen social divisions
  • A system that captures the highest average preference would be more inclusive

Peter Emerson
Peter Emerson

Updated: 10:33pm, 4 Jan, 2020

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Lawmaker Raymond Chan Chi-chuen (right) takes a strong stand during the election of the chairman of the Legislative Council’s finance committee on October 14. Across two days, pro-democracy lawmakers raised repeated procedural questions and tried to delay the proceedings. Photo: May Tse Lawmaker Raymond Chan Chi-chuen (right) takes a strong stand during the election of the chairman of the Legislative Council’s finance committee on October 14. Across two days, pro-democracy lawmakers raised repeated procedural questions and tried to delay the proceedings. Photo: May Tse
Lawmaker Raymond Chan Chi-chuen (right) takes a strong stand during the election of the chairman of the Legislative Council’s finance committee on October 14. Across two days, pro-democracy lawmakers raised repeated procedural questions and tried to delay the proceedings. Photo: May Tse
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Peter Emerson

Peter Emerson

Peter Emerson is a founder member and director of the de Borda Institute, an international NGO which promotes preferential decision-making, especially in conflict zones. (He lives in Belfast and has worked extensively in the Balkans and Caucasus as well.) His first visit to mainland China was in 2014, where he has frequently lectured on inclusive voting procedures. Based on a one-year journey from Belfast to Beijing and beyond, his most recent work is Majority Voting as a Catalyst of Populism.