Hong Kong legislative election, 2008

Infobox Election
election_name = Hong Kong legislative election, 2008
country = Hong Kong
type = legislative
ongoing = no
previous_election = Hong Kong legislative election, 2004
previous_year = 2004
next_election = Hong Kong legislative election, 2012
next_year = 2012
seats_for_election = 46 (of 60) seats to the Legislative Council
election_date = 7 September 2008

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swing2 = The 2008 Hong Kong legislative election (zh-t|t=香港特別行政區第四屆立法會選舉) were held on 7 September 2008. [ [http://www.angelfire.com/ma/maxcrc/elections.html Electoral Calendar-international elections world elections ] ] The election is for the fourth term of the Legislative Council, after the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. There are 60 seats in the Council for the fourth term with 30 Members returned by geographical constituencies through direct elections, and 30 Members by functional constituencies. [ [http://www.mherrera.org/elections.htm Electoral Calendar- world elections,US elections,presidential election,world parties ] ]

Candidates for fourteen functional constituency seats were unopposed.

Pre-election issues

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress vote in December 2007 to would allow universal suffrage by 2017, and full Legislative Council election by 2020, has taken the wind out of the debate on universal suffrage. Wary of political parties, the government has sought to defer discussion on other highly-sensitive issues until October, in the hopes that the election will be void of focus. Issues of the minimum wage, healthcare reform, old age allowances, and the future of RTHK. Nevertheless, the case surrounding former Housing Director Leung Chin-man has served to highlight the issue of systematic checks and balances, and the lack of political scrutiny of government actions.citation
title= Lack of policy leaves a battle of personalities
author= Chris Yeung |Pages= op-ed
publisher= "South China Morning Post"|date= 20 August 2008]

Commentators, such as Albert Cheng, noted the fighting between pro-democracy parties was heating up, but forecast few changes in the overall democrat representation of the new Legco. He cited proportional representation as a mechanism which built in protection for a multi-party system.citation
title= Seats of power
author= Albert Cheng |Pages= op-ed
publisher= "South China Morning Post"|date= 30 August 2008]

There were some concerns that those seeking right of abode in Hong Kong they felt under pressure by lobbyists supporting the DAB. Two advocacy groups echoed abode-seekers' feeling threatened by being bombarded with telephone calls and submitted to other pressures to vote for the DAB, or for Regina Ip.citation
title= Abode families tell of pressure to cast votes for DAB
author= Phyllis Tsang |pages= A3
publisher= "South China Morning Post"|date= 3 September 2008]

Deputy Ministers appointment controversy

Inflation relief measures

Leung Chin-man appointment controversy

Candidates

A total of 142 candidates on 53 lists have entered the election via the geographical constituencies, [Press release: [http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200809/07/P200809070128.htm 3.37 million electors urged to vote today in Legislative Council Election] , Electoral Affairs Commission, 7 September 2008] making it the most hotly contested election since the handover of Hong Kong.cite web|title=Introducing the candidates|publisher=Hong Kong Election Committee|url=http://www.elections.gov.hk/legco2008/eng/introd.html|accessdate=2008-09-03] The candidates of both the pan-democracy and establishment camps stated that they would not allocate the votes within each camp, leading to infighting inside the camps. [cite news|title=互爭票源勢危 陳偉業李卓人嘆腹背受敵|publisher=Ming Pao|date=2008-09-04 zh icon] Martin Lee and Anson Chan announced that they would not stand, and would endorse younger candidates. In addition, some incumbent legislators like Audrey Eu of the Civic Party and Yeung Sum of the Democratic Party were placed second in their lists in an attempt to get less experienced members of their parties elected. [cite web|title=Hong Kong Island candidates|url=http://www.elections.gov.hk/legco2008/chi/pf_gc_hki.html|language=Traditional Chinese|publisher=Hong Kong Election Committee|accessdate=2008-09-03]

Beijing's involvement in the elections was an open secret: its strategy was to groom a new batch of "independent" aspirants with profession backgrounds and without a strong pro-Beijing image, such as Scarlet Pong, and eventual winners Regina Ip and Priscilla Leung. It had hoped they would appeal to the middle class voters and steal votes from the democratic camp.Chris Yeung, "Beijing's hand in polls is more of a ham fist", "South China Morning Post", Page A14 (17 September 2008)]

The functional constituencies are less competitive: 14 out of the 30 seats are uncontested. The Accounting and Architectural, Surveying and Planning functional constituencies are the most hotly contested, with 5 candidates competing in each constituency. [cite web|title=Accounting functional constituency|language=Traditional Chinese|url=http://www.elections.gov.hk/legco2008/chi/pf_fc_acc.html|publisher=Hong Kong Election Committee|accessdate=2008-09-03] [cite web|title=Architecture, Surveying and City Planning functional constituency|language=Traditional Chinese|url=http://www.elections.gov.hk/legco2008/chi/pf_fc_asp.html|publisher=Hong Kong Election Committee|accessdate=2008-09-03] 45 candidates in total are contesting the 16 contested seats. [http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90785/6494743.html]

General outcome

A record number of 3.37 million people registered to vote in the election. The turnout rate was low, at 45% with [figure] voters casting ballots. [ [http://news.ifeng.com/hongkong/200809/0908_19_770525.shtml 香港第四届立法会选举结果揭晓(名单)_资讯_凤凰网] ]

Commentator Chris Yeung believed that the Liaison Office operated behind the scenes to coordinate votes for the pro-Beijing camp. These independents managed to secure legislature seats, but apparently not at the expense of support for the democrats.

The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong remained the largest single party in LegCo, with 13 seats in the council. [Although Wong Kwok Hing ran under the FTU banner in the elections, he is also a member of the DAB.] The share of the pro-democratic parties vote among voters dropped from 60 to 50% since 2004, translating into only 1 seat less than in 2004. The pan-democrats still managed a total of 24 seats, 19 seats in the directly-elected geographical constituencies, and four seats from the functional constituencies. By virtue of having in excess of fraction|1|3 of the seats in LegCo, their ability to veto legislation remains intact. The democrats' veto power being crucial, as discussions on the electoral arrangements for the 2012 Legco elections would take place during the following legislature.

In the backdrop of a deteriorating economy and rising inflation, voters shifted their preferences towards more radical and grass-roots politicians; the electorate's suspicions of collusion between government and big business dealt a blow to the Liberal Party. [Christine Loh, "New voices", "Insight, South China Morning Post", Page A13, 11 September 2008] The Liberal Party suffered double defeat when Selina Chow and Chairman James Tien lost their seats in New Territories West and NT East geographical constituencies respectively despite Tien's appealed to People's representative, Gao Siren, for help on the day of the polls.. Their bid to secure seats in other constituencies also failed. Tien resigned as the Liberal chairman after his defeat, and Chow resigned both her vice-chairmanship and her seat on the Executive Council of Hong Kong.Ambrose Leung, "Liberals' defeat raises doubt over trade-based seats stance", "South China Morning Post", Page A3, 9 September 2008] The election of three members of the League of Social Democrats and four trade-unionists to Legco is set to pose a challenge to the government on welfare and livelihood issues. [Gary Cheng, "Radicals and unionists to make life tricky for government", "South China Morning Post", Page A6, 9 September 2008]

Candidates lists and results

Geographical constituencies (30 seats)

Voting System: Closed party-list proportional representation with the largest remainder method and Hare Quota.

ee also

*Legislative Council of Hong Kong
*Hong Kong legislative elections

References

External links

* [http://www.legco.gov.hk Legislative Council of Hong Kong]
* [http://www.eac.gov.hk/ch/legco/2008.htm Electoral Affairs Commission]