New electoral setup a key democratic movement

When we talk about the spirit and definition of democracy, the definition by Larry Diamond, a professor at Stanford University, is often a go-to definition. He defines democracy as a “political system for choosing and replacing the government through free and fair elections”. The people can actively participate in politics and civic life. Human rights and rule of law can be protected throughout the system, in which the laws and procedures apply equally to all citizens.

If we use these four key elements, namely “election”, “participation”, “human rights” and “rule of law”, to evaluate the new electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the new setup can be classified as a real democratic movement.

The new electoral system is implemented in accordance with the constitutional order and actual situation of Hong Kong. The design of the three elections for the Election Committee, the Legislative Council and the chief executive was based on the Decision of the National People’s Congress at the Fourth Session of the 13th National People’s Congress in Beijing on March 11. The new mechanism is in accordance with the Basic Law of the SAR and is an embodiment of the rule of law under “one country, two systems”.

The principle of balanced participation is honored in every step of the new elections. The influence of the tycoons has been curbed by their limited entry to the Election Committee, where each family can only field two of their members to run for the elections. Among the 1,247 candidates in Sunday’s Election

Committee elections, only 377 of them were incumbents. Up to 70 percent of the candidates were new faces in the local political landscape, while 7,900 voters were from diverse backgrounds, penetrating the grassroots level, as well as social elites and celebrities. Sixtyseven percent of the voters were corporate representatives. Unlike in the past, their votes would represent collective interests rather than individuals. These measures point to a clear message that no power can work against national security and the public interests of Hong Kong. It is a fair game for all in which everyone can participate free from the influence of capital.

The new electoral system will lead Hong Kong to recover from the political polarization. The enhancement in representativeness and all-round participation will stabilize the social atmosphere through inclusive elections. Two weeks ago, many ex officio members organized roadshows to explain to the public what the elections mean and how the reform can protect human rights for the betterment of Hong Kong. This is an important public engagement exercise as the public can ask these Election Committee members about their criteria for selecting the next chief executive and legislative councilors. It is a safe civic life that secures the human rights of all, and which strengthens social justice. Under the new system, there will be no place for riots of the kind seen in 2019.

For the sake of building an international and pluralistic society, the new electoral system is a key and fundamental step for democratic movement in Hong Kong. It embodies all four definitive elements of democracy as defined by Professor Diamond. The systematic change brings about the new law and order, which will be enjoyed by all citizens in Hong Kong. We expect to see the sophisticated institutional change offering a better governance capacity to resolve Hong Kong’s predicament.