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Lilian Cheng

As China’s political elite gather in Beijing for the annual “two sessions” meetings of its top legislature and political advisory body, a major shake-up to Hong Kong’s political system is on the cards. We take a look at more than two decades of changes to the city’s legislature and the exclusive body that selects its chief executive.

1998
Election Committee: The first chief executive was picked by a 400-member committee. It was expanded to 800 members a year later.

Legislative Council: Sixty lawmakers were returned by geographical constituencies, functional constituencies and the Election Committee in 1998 and 2000. From 2004, the Election Committee stopped nominating lawmakers.
2005
Election Committee: Then chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen proposed doubling membership to 1,600 but failed to get lawmakers’ support.

Legco: Tsang suggested having 70 seats, but this failed too.
2010
Election Committee: Tsang succeeded in getting it enlarged to 1,200 ahead of the 2012 chief executive election.
Legco: Lawmakers approved having 70 seats from 2012, with 35 seats each for geographical constituencies and functional constituencies, including five so-called super seats directly elected by voters.

2014
Election Committee: A government task force recommended allowing Hongkongers to pick their leader in 2017 through “one man, one vote” for the first time. Beijing then decided to allow only two or three candidates with majority support of a nominating committee dominated by Beijing loyalists to run elections. This was put to the vote in Legco and rejected by lawmakers.

2021
Beijing announces sweeping changes but not all details have been confirmed.
Election Committee: 300 more voters will be added, making it 1,500 members across five sectors: business, professional, social, political and a new fifth one. It will comprise the city’s representatives to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Hong Kong members of key mainland Chinese business, social and academic groups, sources say.

Previously, candidates for the chief executive post had to secure nominations from any 150 members of the 1,200-strong Election Committee. In future, they will need 188 nominations of the 1,500 members, including at least 15 from each sector.
Legco: It will be expanded to 90 seats. Five geographical and five functional constituency seats will be scrapped. Another 30 lawmakers will be from the Election Committee. One confirmed change: all would-be candidates must get an unconfirmed number of nominations from the Election Committee.


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Hong Kong voters queue up at a polling station to wait for their turn to cast ballots in the first legislative elections in 1998. Photo: Reuters

epa09050791 A general view of the opening session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, China, 04 March 2021. China holds two major annual political meetings, The National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) which run alongside and together known as 'Lianghui' or 'Two Sessions'. EPA-EFE/ROMAN PILIPEY

A general view of Legislative Council in Admiralty, Hong Kong. 14JUN19 Photo:SCMP/Winson Wong

Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen talks to the press about the constitutional reform at Central Government Offices (CGO). 19 December 2005

The ballot papers are on the table in the counting hall. Candidates Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Woo Kwok-hing and an officer of John Tsang Chun-wah's campaign office are monitor of the counting process at The Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre in Wan Chai. 26MAR17 SCMP / Sam Tsang

Members of the Democratic Party celebrate after winning seats in the first Legislative Council (LEGCO) Elections of Hong Kong SAR at HKCEC.  25 May 1998

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying (2nd from right) opens the ballot box  for the Legislative Council election in AsiaWorld-Expo at Chek Lap Kok on 9th Sep, 2012. 09SEP12

News

Hong Kong

Politics


As major changes for city’s electoral system loom, we track major shifts and amendments to the legislature and the chief executive race through the decades
Committee that picks city’s leader expected to be enlarged by 300 voters, while Legco may increase to 90 seats



As major changes for city’s electoral system loom, we track major shifts and amendments to the legislature and the chief executive race through the decades.


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