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Opinion | Hong Kong needs full universal suffrage to unlock full potential
- One way to help Hong Kong endure and thrive in this era of uncertainty is to further reform elections and have universal suffrage in voting for the chief executive
- Doing so would give the government broader representation, a stronger mandate and the ability to enact measures hindered by entrenched interest groups
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Hong Kong’s ability to recover from its difficulties would be much improved if it goes ahead with democratic reform. By introducing a system of one person, one vote for the position of chief executive, Hong Kong would have a government with much broader representation, giving it a stronger mandate to push through changes.
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Universal suffrage is already included in Article 45 of the Basic Law that governs Hong Kong, but no one is sure when and how it might be implemented. Hong Kong should delay its implementation no further.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has been successful in passing the Article 23 national security legislation, which could provide a more stable environment for popular representation in government.
Although the city’s chief executive enjoys significant authority, their ability to exercise power is constrained. They are not elected through universal suffrage, which weakens their ability to speak on behalf of the people.
There was a sizeable push in 2014-15 to introduce a system of one person, one vote for the position of chief executive, with the public having the chance to directly select the chief executive. In the end, though, the proposal was voted down in the Legislative Council.
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There was controversy over polling arrangements that critics said would ensure only pro-Beijing candidates could stand for election and the winning candidate would still need to be endorsed by the central government.
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