Hong Kong's Push to Silence Dissent: Reducing Elected Seats in Local Councils

On July 6, 2021, Hong Kong's legislature voted unanimously to reduce the number of elected seats in local councils, a move meant to curb opposition figures from repeating their landslide win in 2019.

The Bill passed Thursday will slash directly elected seats from more than 90% to 20%. This is a major setback for Hong Kong's decentralisation efforts, which began in 1982 under British colonial rule, and is a major blow to the city's pro-democracy movement.

John Lee, Hong Kong's city leader, said the move was necessary to “plug institutional loopholes” and to “exclude anti-China and destabilising forces”. The Hong Kong Basic Law, which governs the city's semi-autonomous status, is being challenged under the new system, with the European Union representative stating it “severely weakens the ability of the people of Hong Kong to choose representatives overlooking district affairs”.

The previous election for Hong Kong's district councils was held at the height of the democracy protests, and was swept by the city's pro-democracy forces. Beijing has since implemented a sweeping national security law to stifle dissent and curtail political freedoms in the finance hub, and has mandated that only “patriots” can hold public office.

More than 300 democratically elected district council members have been unseated or resigned, with some leaving Hong Kong. Michael Tien, one of the 88 lawmakers who voted in favour of the Bill, acknowledged that the new system was less democratic, but said it was “a price we have to pay in order to realise the goal of achieving a more orderly and efficient District Council”.

The next district council elections are scheduled for November, and the new rules mean 80% of seats will either be filled via official appointment or selected by government proxy groups. Candidates also face strict vetting. Long-time councillor Paul Zimmerman had said in May that the new system “will not only destroy the final bastion of democracy in Hong Kong, it is ultimately a loss for everyone”.

Beijing’s move to reduce the number of elected seats in local councils is a major setback for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, and signals a shift away from the city's democratisation efforts since 1982.

The current system significantly weakens the ability of the people of Hong Kong to choose their representatives, and has seen more than 300 democratically elected district council members unseated or resign in the last two years.

Michael Tien, one of the 88 lawmakers who voted in favour of the Bill, said it was “a price we have to pay” in order to achieve a “more orderly and efficient District Council”.