The first Hong Kong special administrative region legislative council elections

• Main Author: TANG, James T. H.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 1999
• Subjects: Asian Studies; Legislation; Political Science; Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/2159; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/soss_research/article/3416/viewcontent/32ChineseLGovt3__1_.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

The Legislative Council (Legco) Elections in Hong Kong on May 24, 1998, isthe first open multiparty electoral competition in the People's Republic of China(PRC). Since Chinese leaders have repeatedly rejected Western-style democracyor multiparty competition for China, the extent to which the Hong Kong experiencewould serve as a model for political developments on the mainland isclearly limited. Nonetheless, political changes in Hong Kong has to be seen aspart of China's experience following their reunion. Under the "one country, twosystems" formula, Hong Kong is given the freedom to conduct its own internalaffairs as a Special Administrative Region (SAR), but the formation of an electedlegislature that is formally part of the PRC is still a significant event in thepolitical history of the country.