Beijing knew national security law was not enough to control Hong Kong, which is why the electoral reforms had to kick in
- Meetings between the city’s pro-establishment elite and Beijing officials last week point to a new power centre in the making – and it will have a tough sidekick
- Overhaul effectively means the chief executive will no longer be the most powerful political figure in the city
In the past, the chief executive was arguably the city’s most powerful political figure under an executive-led government, but that effectively changed with the overhaul, sources indicated. The Election Committee will now decide the fate of not just the executive but also the legislature.
The vetting committee, officially called the “candidates’ qualification review committee”, will also be a super powerful body. Its decisions would not be subjected to the scrutiny of the courts, another source said, indicating that otherwise, the courts would have final say on candidates if they were allowed to seek recourse via judicial reviews.
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Electoral system needs to change so patriots rule Hong Kong, Carrie Lam says
But their implications were brought home clearly and starkly, they said, during the sessions led by Zhang Xiaoming, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, who wanted to listen to their feedback and also explain the changes.