The Politics of Electoral Reform in Hong Kong

Abstract

The electoral reform of the Hong Kong Legislative Council from 1991 to 1998 was a politically controversial process. This article examines the historical evolution of the direct election, functional constituencies, Election Committee, and the electoral boundary of the LegCo. Before the handover, electoral reform in Hong Kong had already become a political tug-of-war amongst the political groups and parties in the legislature. This phenomenon could still be seen shortly after the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on 1 July 1997. If electoral reform in Hong Kong has traditionally been politicised, such politicisation aimed at favouring some political parties will most likely persist in the years to come, especially in 2007, when the HKSAR will conduct a review of its political development.