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Contemporary Hong Kong Politics: Governance in the Post-1997 Era

Percy Luen-tim Lui

Wai-man Lam and Ian Holliday (eds)

This book is a project by the Hong Kong Political Science Association. The politics of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) have often been turbulent in the decade since the 1997 ... More

This book is a project by the Hong Kong Political Science Association. The politics of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) have often been turbulent in the decade since the 1997 handover. The book presents an analysis of the main strands of continuity and change during the period. It looks first at the core institutions of the SAR, focusing on the executive, legislature, judiciary, civil service, District Councils, and advisory and statutory bodies. The book then turns to supporting structures in the wider society, paying particular attention to political parties and elections, civil society and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and mass media and public opinion. Analyses of key policy sectors follow—notably economic policy, social policy, and urban policy. To finish, the book examines Hong Kong's relations with the Mainland and the wider world.Less

Electing Hong Kong's Chief Executive

Simon N. M. Young and Richard Cullen

In 2007, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region held its first-ever contested election for Chief Executive, selected by 800 members of an Election Committee drawn from roughly 7% of the ... More

In 2007, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region held its first-ever contested election for Chief Executive, selected by 800 members of an Election Committee drawn from roughly 7% of the population. The outcome was a foregone conclusion, but the process allowed a pro-democracy legislator to obtain enough nominations to contest the election. The office of Chief Executive is as unique as the system used to fill the office, distinct from colonial governors and other leaders of Chinese provinces and municipalities. The head of the HKSAR enjoys greater autonomous powers, such as powers to nominate principal officials for Chinese appointment, pardon offenders, and appoint judges. Despite its many anti-democratic features, the Election Committee has generated behavior typically associated with elections in leading capitalist democracies and has also gained prominence on the mainland as the vehicle for returning Hong Kong deputies to the National People's Congress. This book reviews the history and development of the Election Committee (and its predecessor), discusses its ties to legislative assemblies in Hong Kong and Mainland China, and reflects on the future of the system.Less