Hong Kong Chief Executive election, 1996

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The first ever Hong Kong chief executive election was held on 11th December, 1996. Since Hong Kong was then a British colony, election for the first Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China was held by the People's Republic of China authorities in Hong Kong.

1 History
2 Candidates
- 2.1 The 4 major candidates
- 2.2 Others
3 Result
4 Aftermath
5 References
6 See also

[edit] History

By January 1996 most observers expected Tung Chee-hwa to be the front-runner of the election with a great deal of support from influential business tycoon Henry Fok.^[1]

On December 11, 1996 a 400-member HK SAR Selection Committee (推選委員會) was voting for a Chief executive to rule Hong Kong after the 1997 handover.^[2] Pro-democracy activists including Emily Lau, Andrew Cheng, Lee Cheuk-yan scuffled with riot police outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. A "Tomb of democracy" was established outside the building shouting "oppose the phony election". The activists were detained and dragged away by the police for four hours.^[2]

The election was conducted by the electoral college of a massive 400-member committee with all the positions rubber-stamped by the Chinese Government. Though it should be noted that Hong Kong has never had a leader elected by universal suffrage before. All of Tung's British predecessors were all appointed by the British Crown, without recourse to any false pretense of democracy as in the present system.

To contradict, leading Chinese politicians always claimed that the Chief executive would not be chosen by Beijing and that he or she must be acceptable to the people of Hong Kong.^[1]

[edit] Candidates

[edit] The 4 major candidates

Simon Li Fook-sean (李福善) - former judge
Tung Chee-hwa (董建華) - business man
Yang Ti-liang (楊鐵樑)
Peter Woo Kwong-ching (吳光正) - business man

[edit] Others

Au Yuk-lun (區玉麟)
To-sum (杜森)
Choi Ching-kui (蔡正矩)
Yu Hon-bui (余漢彪)

[edit] Result

In early 1997 Tung Chee-hwa was elected with 320 votes out of 398 valid votes. Tung won a landslide victory^[3] over three other major candidates in the election for the post of Hong Kong's first Chief Executive. The Chief Executive was selected by the 400-member Selection Committee.

[edit] Aftermath

Tung was mostly chosen by the PRC due to his business background as well as owing Beijing for saving him from bankruptcy with a US $100 million loan.^[1] Tung was installed as the Chief executive, but the next few years to follow were compounded with serious social problems including Right of abode, Asian financial crisis, bird flu pandemic and a host of other issues.

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b ^c Horlemann, Ralf. [2002] (2002). Hong Kong's Transition to Chinese Rule. Routledge publishing. ISBN 0415296811.
^ ^a ^b Chan, Ming K. [1997] (1997). The Challenge of Hong Kong's Reintegration With China. Hong Kong University Press. Hong Kong (China). ISBN 9622094414.
^ Xavier, Gerry (January 24, 1997). Decision day brings a 10-minute replay of Tung's landslide. Hong Kong Standard. Retrieved on 2007-01-11.