Shades Off | Can Hong Kong’s electoral overhaul spur meaningful change at the street level?

The speed at which Hong Kong plans to have sweeping electoral reforms approved and implemented is impressive. A bill was introduced to the Legislative Council last week and officials hope to have the changes in place by May, in time for elections in September, December and next March.

That Beijing has orchestrated the overhaul to ensure the city is governed by patriots is the reason for the haste, but the dedication of local officials to carrying out the order raises serious questions. If such a complex task can be accomplished so quickly, why have the authorities for decades been so lax in handling the city’s problems?

The electoral overhaul comes under the banner of national security, hence the dedication of Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and her administrative team to the task set out by their bosses in Beijing. Since January 27, when President Xi Jinping told Lam that Hong Kong could only be stable and secure if it was governed by patriots, there has been a frenzy to put in place such a system.

The draft legislation was unveiled to the National People’s Congress on March 5 and overwhelmingly approved six days later; on March 30, the Standing Committee amended Annexes I and II of Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law. The local authorities now have to make the appropriate legislative changes and implement them in time for elections for the Election Committee, Legislative Council and chief executive.

The shake-up is far-reaching, affecting how candidates are chosen, the number of representatives, and how electoral boundaries are drawn. It is being portrayed as improvement to the system to ensure political security.