Replacing Hong Kong’s leader is a complicated, closed-door affair that epitomises the central problem facing the Asian financial hub: How to balance the public’s desire for autonomy with China’s demands for control?
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The city’s Basic Law, which came into effect the day the British left, contains the promise of a popular vote some day, but electoral reforms imposed from Beijing in 2021 made that goal even more distant. In the end, an elite group of just 1,500 people who represent business, interest groups and, above all, China’s Communist Party will choose the successor to Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Sunday, May 8.
An ex-cop and the city’s former No 2 official, John Lee, is the only nominee - the first time in two decades Hong Kong has presented a single candidate.
1. What did China agree to before the handover?
The Basic Law, or mini-constitution, codified the joint declaration signed by the governments of China and Britain in 1984 in Beijing. It enshrined the “one country, two systems” principle, which promised to give the city for 50 years a high degree of autonomy and protected its unique rights, such as to free speech and assembly - rights not found on the mainland.
2. How did Hong Kong used to pick its leader?
While the campaigning looked a lot like any mayoral election, with stump speeches, rallies and policy platforms, the voting was done by just 1,200 people on an Election Committee. That body was composed of representatives from sectors covering business and industry, white-collar professions, grassroots organisations and legislators.
3. What’s different now?
The Election Committee was expanded last year and given new vetting powers to ensure only “patriots” who “respect” Communist Party rule can run for office.