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Kimmy Chung

The head of Hong Kong’s largest pro-government political party has called for a review of the legislature’s electoral system and rules that ban the city’s leader from having a political affiliation.
In an interview with the Post, Starry Lee Wai-king, chairwoman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, warned that the city’s governance problems would go unresolved in the absence of change.
After 20 years of “one country two systems”, the formula under which Hong Kong is governed, now was an appropriate time to review the system and look to the future, she said.
At present the city’s chief executive is barred from having any party affiliation under the election ordinance. The notion of Hong Kong having a ruling party has been a politically sensitive issue for the Communist Party in Beijing owing to potential conflicts, but the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, does not expressly ban it.

“The past chief executives came from various backgrounds: Tung Chee-hwa from the business sector, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen from the civil service, Leung Chun-ying was a professional; they all faced the same problem of forming a cabinet with talent and political and governing competence,” she said.
Lee said a leader with a background in a political party would have the benefit of rich political experience behind them as well as knowledge of the operations of the Legislative Council, although he or she might have little governing experience.
Compromise essential for political reform to move ahead
Currently, without party support in the legislature, the chief executive has to lobby for votes one by one, she said.
“As Tsang said before, all lawmakers were basically the opposition except the few sitting on the Executive Council,” she said, referring to the chief executive’s cabinet.



However, Lee admitted that lifting the ban on party affiliation would not guarantee a smoother relationship between the executive and legislative branches of government, since the largest party in Legco could not secure a majority share of the votes in the chamber under the proportional representation system, with the DAB currently holding only 12 of the 70 seats.
Under the electoral system adopted in 1998, parties or non-affiliated groups rank candidates on lists. Their chance of winning a seat is based on a “quota” – obtained by dividing the number of valid votes cast in the constituency by the number of available seats.
Election over, Hong Kong must try again to agree on political reform to heal the rifts in society
If a party gets enough votes to meet the quota, it automatically wins a seat. Whoever gets the remaining seats is determined by ranking the so-called remainder votes.
Under the system, having a small but fervent support base, with as little as six per cent of the vote in some cases, is enough to win a seat.

With many lawmakers benefitting from the system, Lee acknowledged it would be difficult to amend the rules of the game, but said changes were needed to pave the way for universal suffrage.
Lee’s appeal for a review may fall on deaf ears however, with chief executive-elect Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor having not made any commitment to rebooting long-stalled political reform in the next five years.
Lam pledges to convey Hong Kong pan-democrat call for restart of political reform during talks in Beijing
“I would like to see universal suffrage for both the chief executive and Legco achieved after 10 years, but it is true that political reform can only be accomplished under a more harmonised atmosphere with social rifts mended,” Lee said.
She added that she hoped Legco study tours to the mainland for both pro-establishment and pan-democrat lawmakers could be conducted on a regular basis.


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Ban on party affiliation for Hong Kong leader ‘needs review’, pro-Beijing heavyweight Starry Lee says

The Post spoke to Starry Lee Wai-king in Admiralty. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Interview DAB Chairlady, Starry Lee in Admiralty. 10MAY17 SCMP / Xiaomei Chen

Financial Committee meeting in Legco Tamar. 28APR17 SCMP / Edward Wong

Hong Kong leader-elect Carrie Lam attends a news conference in Beijing, China April 11, 2017. REUTERS/Jason Lee

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Pro-Beijing legislators after voting fiasco. Photo: May Tse


News

Hong Kong

Politics

Head of Hong Kong’s biggest pro-government party says governance gridlock will continue without reform


Legislative Council of Hong Kong (Legco)

Starry Lee Wai-king

Ban on party affiliation for Hong Kong leader ‘needs review’, pro-Beijing heavyweight Starry Lee says

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Head of Hong Kong’s biggest pro-government party says governance gridlock will continue without reform

Head of Hong Kong’s biggest pro-government party says governance gridlock will continue without reform