What is the Legislative Council in Hong Kong: A 30-Second Guide.
Hong Kong's Legislative Council functions as a law-making body with the mandate to enact and revise statutes for the territory. Nonetheless, polls for this body have experienced a significant decline in genuine political alternatives amid significant governance overhauls in the past few years.
Following the 1997 handover, a model of "one country, two systems" was established, vowing that Hong Kong would keep a level of autonomy. Over time, observers note that these freedoms have been steadily diminished.
Significant Developments and Changes
Back in 2014, a proposal was introduced that aimed to allow residents to choose the city's leader. Critically, this process was limited to candidates pre-approved by the mainland government.
During 2019 was marked by widespread unrest, which featured an incident where protesters accessed the legislative complex to voice opposition against a contentious law.
The Impact of the Security Legislation
Implemented in June 2020, the security legislation provided extensive authority to the mainland over Hong Kong's affairs. Activities such as subversion were criminalized. In the wake of this law, the primary political group disbanded.
The Current Election Framework
The council polls are viewed as Hong Kong's main democratic exercise. However, laws established in recent years now stipulate that only hopefuls deemed pro-establishment are permitted to contest seats.
- Seat Composition: Currently, only 20 out of 90 seats are chosen by popular vote.
- Remaining Seats: The balance are selected by a pro-establishment committee.
- New Rules: Newly drafted requirements would require legislators to publicly support the mainland's oversight.
Public Response
Amid other means of expression now curtailed, abstaining from voting has emerged as one of the remaining safe ways for residents to show disapproval. As a result historically low electoral engagement in the latest LegCo polls.
