Politics

Having all seats contested in Sunday’s Legislative Council election and the resulting strong performance by independent candidates signal emerging political diversity within Hong Kong’s reformed electoral system, political analysts have said.However, a record number of invalid ballots cast suggested continued resistance to the “patriots-only” framework, they noted, urging the government to also take heed and ensure this would not be used to pile pressure on it in future.Observers also pointed to how Beijing had assessed the election to be a milestone in “Hong Kong’s high-quality democracy”, as they read into the term the central government’s preference for policy-focused governance over political confrontation and moving away from the past.“The election reveals diverse political currents w...

Newly elected and outgoing Hong Kong lawmakers have met the media jointly for the first time, pledging to work closely with the government in the aftermath of the deadly Tai Po fire, with the Legislative Council president urging them to communicate and serve the city.“Lawmakers should leverage their professional expertise, networks and resources to work wholeheartedly with the government on the myriad tasks of post-disaster relief efforts and reconstruction,” outgoing Legco president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen said on Tuesday.The press event, held two days after Sunday’s election, was the first of its kind and aimed to show solidarity, according to Legco secretary general Dora Wai Pik-yiu.Leung said the poll had showcased healthy, high-quality competition, and urged elected legislators – grant...

Outgoing veteran Hong Kong lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun has called for expanding the number of directly elected seats in the legislature, saying the move will broaden the political spectrum and boost voter turnout.Mark Chong Ho-fung, the sole lawmaker-elect of the Roundtable party founded by Tien, also said on Tuesday that proposing the idea for political reform was to set the ball rolling and spur further discussion.Sunday’s Legislative Council election was the second under Beijing’s revamped system, with only 20 seats directly elected via the geographical constituencies.The remaining 70 seats – 40 seats in the Election Committee constituency and 30 seats in functional constituencies – were chosen by a small circle of voters within their respective sectors.Before the 2021 shake-up, half ...

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu swore in the new Legislative Council on January 1 without issue, even though a few lawmakers had to redo their oaths. And the first order of business for them is to elect the council president in a vote expected on January 8.Whether Lee’s message to Legco members – calling on them to be “representatives of the public”, and to prioritise the interests of the nation and Hong Kong over personal political gain and glory – is heard and how they interpret his words will be revealed then.That’s because at the heart of who they choose as president is how they see their roles as lawmakers and whether they put the city and national interests above personal gain.There are two candidates for the job, both veteran lawmakers: Starry Lee Wai-king and Ronick Chan...

Hong Kong’s constitutional affairs chief has dismissed suggestions that a record number of invalid ballots cast in the recent Legislative Council election was due to some people being forced to vote, adding that authorities may reconsider introducing “smart ballot boxes” to address the issue.Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai also said on Saturday that last month’s deadly Tai Po fire had affected the voter turnout in the poll.Last Sunday’s election yielded a turnout rate of 31.9 per cent, up slightly from the record low of 30.2 per cent in the 2021 Legco poll.But more invalid votes were recorded, with the 41,147 spoiled votes amounting to 3.12 per cent of the total cast. In the 2021 poll, 27,453 were spoiled, accounting for 2.03 per cent of the total.The...

For years, Winfield Chong Wing-fai, an executive committee member of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party and long-term advocate against bid-rigging, has juggled countless invitations from residents to attend meetings of owners’ corporations, so homeowners can seek his advice on building maintenance projects.The number and frequency of those invitations increased exponentially after last month’s deadly fire at Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court, which revealed the secrets of a murky and rapacious building renovation business, including the dubious practice of contractors paying companies to select them for their bids.But Chong has struggled to manage the workload.“I used to be able to handle 90 per cent of the cases I received in the past, but now I think I can only tackle around 10 or 20 per cent,” Chong to...

Beijing’s top office overseeing Hong Kong affairs said on New Year’s Day that the city had lived up to expectations, highlighting its response to the deadly Tai Po fire as proof of “unity and resilience”.The office’s comments came as city leader John Lee Ka-chiu, in response to President Xi Jinping’s new year greetings, pledged that Hong Kong would pursue quality development, deepen reforms and open up.The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office noted that both special administrative regions had lived up to expectations and advanced in unity under Xi’s leadership and guidance.“Hong Kong responded effectively and decisively to a major fire, showing unity and resilience in the face of adversity,” the office said in a commentary published under the pen name “Gang Ao Ping”.In his 2026 message deliv...

Newly elected lawmakers should be “representatives of the public” rather than mere commentators, Hong Kong’s leader has said after the swearing-in of all 90 legislators, warning against “soft resistance” and acts that stir conflicts under the guise of critique.Meanwhile, veteran lawmakers Starry Lee Wai-king and Ronick Chan Chun-ying, front-runners for the Legislative Council presidency, remained tight-lipped about their bids on Thursday, a day before the nomination period is set to close.Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, who became the first city leader to speak at a Legco oath-taking ceremony, called on the lawmakers to proactively advise the government.“When performing your duties, [lawmakers] should not merely act as commentators, but actively fulfil your role as representatives of the...

Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu is suffering from sciatica, the Chief Executive’s Office has revealed, after he appeared to be in pain while standing for 1½ hours at the lawmakers’ swearing-in ceremony on New Year’s Day, with a cane placed nearby.The office said on Thursday that Lee was suffering from sciatica but did not reveal details about his condition.Sciatica is a condition that causes pain along the sciatic nerve, which is the largest in the body, starting in the lower back and running down the back of the legs.Pressure on this nerve can cause severe, sometimes debilitating pain down the back of the leg and up into the pelvis and buttocks.Lee oversaw the swearing-in of all 90 newly elected lawmakers on Thursday morning and appeared unwell during the 1½-hour ceremony, occasionally ...

Veteran Hong Kong lawmakers Starry Lee Wai-king and Ronick Chan Chun-ying have thrown their hats in the ring to be the Legislative Council’s next president, with a vote expected on January 8.The coming contest will mark the first time two hopefuls from the pro-government camp have vied for the position, with a scholar saying a president chosen through competition would command greater authority.Lee and Chan are running to succeed Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen, who stepped down after deciding not to seek re-election in the Legco poll last month.Lee of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) – the city’s largest political party – was nominated by Liberal Party chairman Peter Shiu Ka-fai and seconded by nine other lawmakers, including party colleague Ben Chan Han-p...