This report briefly discusses Hong Kong's Legislative Council (Legco), and the recent defeat of a proposal to reform the city's Chief Executive (CE) selection method.

The democratization of Hong Kong is enshrined in the Basic Law, Hong Kong¿s quasi-constitution that was passed by China¿s Nat. People¿s Congress prior to China¿s resumption of sovereignty over the ex-British colony on July 1, 1997. On Nov. 18, 2009, Hong Kong released the government¿s long-awaited ¿consultation document¿ on possible reforms for the city¿s next Chief Exec. and Legislative Council elections to be held in 2012. Contents of this report: (1) Overview; (2) Historical Background: The Basic Law and Hong Kong Elections; The Proposed Reforms of 2005; The Decision of Dec. 2007; (3) The 2008 Legco Elections; (4) The 2012 Elections; (5) The Consultation Document; (6) The Initial Response; (7) Implications of the Consultation Document. Illus.

This book provides an in-depth analysis of the election of the Hong Kong Legislative Council in May 1998, which was the first general election in Hong Kong since the change of sovereignty to China in 1997. The election was conducted in the wake of the government's mismanagement of health policy and other aspects of public concern and amid widespread hardships inflicted by the Asian financial crisis. Nevertheless, the election still had the highest turnout rate in Hong Kong's entire history. The elected legislature replaced the Provisional Legislative Council, which was a product of the Sino-British conflict before the change-over. However, as a result of institutional design and electoral outcome, this duly-elected Legislative Council has been fragmented and weak in its legislative and supervisory powers; and therefore there are long-term implications for the governance of Hong Kong in general and for the executive-legislative relations in particular. Contributors to this volume are renowned scholars in Hong Kong studies. The various aspects of the 1998 legislative election are critically examined to ascertain their exact meanings and to clarify doubts. Questions such as the following are properly addressed Did the transfer of sovereignty have any impact on the systems of election, representation, and authority? What was the impact of institutional change on the conduct of electoral campaigns? Did the end of colonialism and the advent of "one country, two systems" help to activate Hong Kong voters who were once dubbed "attentive spectators"? Did the "China factor" which had been influential in the 1991 and 1995 elections give way to other electoral divisions?Did the mass media properly perform their roles during the election? Does the emergence of class and economic issues during the election signify a new era of "political normalization"? Will the now legitimately constituted Legislative Council have political clout? What is in store for the future?

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 a 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.

Accompanying CD-ROM contains ... "appendices - notes."--CD-ROM label.

A close-up look at the struggle for democracy in Hong Kong. Hong Kong in the Shadow of China is a reflection on the recent political turmoil in Hong Kong during which the Chinese government insisted on gradual movement toward electoral democracy and hundreds of thousands of protesters occupied major thoroughfares to push for full democracy now. Fueling this struggle is deep public resentment over growing inequality and how the political system—established by China and dominated by the local business community—reinforces the divide been those who have profited immensely and those who struggle for basics such as housing. Richard Bush, director of the Brookings Institution’s Center on East Asia Policy Studies, takes us inside the demonstrations and the demands of the demonstrators and then pulls back to critically explore what Hong Kong and China must do to ensure both economic competitiveness and good governance and the implications of Hong Kong developments for United States policy.