2011 Hong Kong local elections

2011 Hong Kong local elections
All Elected Constituencies; 412 (of the 507) seats in all 18 Districts Councils
Registered	3,560,535 8.03%
Turnout	1,202,544 (41.49%) 2.66pp
	Map of the winning party by constituency

The 2011 Hong Kong District Council elections were held on 6 November 2011. Elections were held to all 18

District Councils of Hong Kong, returning 412 members from directly elected constituencies, each selecting a council member.^[1] After the government's constitutional reform package was passed in 2010, five new seats in the Legislative Council

would be created in which the candidates would be nominated by all District Councillors.

The

Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood (ADPL) which supported the government's constitutional reform package in 2010. The People Power filled 62 candidates, most of them stood against the Democratic Party and ADPL candidates, including Democratic Party chairman Albert Ho and ADPL former chairman Frederick Fung

.

Albert Ho and Frederick Fung were able to retain their seats, but other pan-democrat heavyweights who tried to gain seats in the District Councils in order to run in the new constituency in next year's Legislative Council election, including Tanya Chan, Ronny Tong and Lee Cheuk-yan, lost their bids to relatively unknown local councillors.

Background

The

constitutional reform package was carried out by Donald Tsang

, the Chief Executive. However, it was voted down by the pan-democrats as it did not state a clear timetable or road map to achieve an ultimate universal suffrage.

On 29 December 2007, the

NPCSC

(China's Standing Committee of the National People's Congress) announced that the Chief Executive and all members of Legislative Council may be selected by universal suffrage in 2017 and 2020 respectively. The statement by Beijing was unclear and it implied the term "universal suffrage" may be defined by the Central Government.

Afterward, Donald Tsang carried out another

de facto referendum against the package and urging for real universal suffrage, their ally, the Democratic Party went for negotiation with the mainland officials and carried out a revised proposal. On 24–25 June 2010, the revised package was passed through the Legislative Council. It brought out a major split within the pan-democracy camp. A new radical party, People Power led by Wong Yuk-man and Albert Chan was announced to punish those who betrayal the cause of democracy.^[2]

The People Power sent total number of 62 candidates into the election, most of them chose to contest with the Democratic Party and ADPL candidates.

According to the new reform package, general public are allowed to elect district council members into LegCo from the new five-seat district council functional constituency following their nomination within the councillors in the 2012 election. District councils election thus become a new battlefield for the new five seats of LegCo in which many heavyweights chose to run for a seat for the super seats of LegCo including Chan Yuen-han, Ronny Tong and Lee Cheuk-yan.

Pre-election controversies

Political donations

Just one month before the election in October 2011, a leaked document revealed that

Sina.com Lai was said to have donated about $10 million to democracy camp groups in a 5-year span.^[4] The Wall Street Journal saw this as part of "a fresh campaign to accuse pro-democracy politicians of being stooges of foreign powers".^[5]

Since 2009–2010 the top four political parties received a total of $70 million in donations.[6] Pro-establishment political groups are known to receive handsome political donations from many prominent Hong Kong businessmen. Out of that sum more than half ($48,370,000) went to the DAB. This amount was also 2.5 times more than the next pro-Beijing camp, Liberal Party as well as 7 times more than the sum received by pro-democracy camp groups like Civic Party and Democratic party.^[6] The DAB received eight times the amount as the Democratic Party in 2009–10.^[5]

However, there is a serious shortage of people donating to the democracy camp parties. Other than Lai, there seems to be nobody else in HK donating to the democracy camps any more.^[6] According to Emily Lau, first there is definitely a question of transparency with regards to who is donating money.^[6] There is also the issue of revealing donors. The WSJ believed that the taboo on discussing the activities of the Chinese Communist Party implies the Hong Kong government will never pass a law governing political parties. It added: "As a result, donor transparency will never be mandated."^[5] The Chinese Communist Party bans and punishes people once they know who is donating to democracy camps.^[6] In this election, the well-financed pro-Beijing parties swept the polls.^[7]

Foreign domestic workers right of abode issues

Right of abode for

Vallejos v. Commissioner of Registration was one of the primary case in 2011. Pro-Beijing DAB argued that 125,000 workers were eligible, and would cause unemployment in Hong Kong to rise from 3.5% to between 7 and 10%.^[9] The Pan-Democrats, particularly the Civic Party, were disadvantaged by this as many HK residents fear granting Filipinos permanent residency will affect them.^[10]

Results

A post-

pro-democracy camp heavyweights lost their seat including Tanya Chan, Ronny Tong and Lee Cheuk-yan.^[11] Democratic Party vice chairman Sin Chung-kai admitted that this was "a warning to the pro-democracy camp".^[7]

Summary of the 6 November 2011
election results
Political Affiliation			Popular vote	%	%±	Standing	Elected	±
		Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong	282,119	23.89	1.84	182	136	16
		Civil Force	35,221	2.98	0.27	20	15	3
		Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions	36,646	3.10	2.73	20	11	7
		Liberal Party	23,408	1.98	2.41	24	9	3
		New People's Party	15,568	1.32	-	12	4	3
		New Territories Association of Societies	2,187	0.19	-	2	2	1
		Economic Synergy	2,404	0.20	-	3	1	1
		Fu Cheong Estate Residents Association	2,235	0.19	-	1	1	1
		Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions	1,859	0.16	0.04	2	1	0
		Pro-Beijing Independents	252,720	21.40	-	172	121	3
Total for pro-Beijing camp			654,368	55.42	1.77	438	301	23
		Democratic Party	205,716	17.42	2.04	132	47	3
		Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood	45,453	3.85	0.75	26	15	2
		Neo Democrats	25,437	2.15	-	10	8	0
		Civic Party	47,603	4.03	0.26	41	7	5
		Neighbourhood and Worker's Service Centre	14,364	1.22	0.11	6	5	2
		Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions	4,044	0.34	0.14	3	0	0
		Power for Democracy	3,837	0.32	-	4	0	0
		Individuals	23,007	1.95	2.33	14	6	1
	Total for Democratic Coalition for DC Election		369,461	31.29	3.60	236	88	9
		People Power	23,465	1.99	-	62	1	1
		League of Social Democrats	21,833	1.85	0.66	28	0	5
		Land Justice League	3,025	0.26	-	4	0	0
		Citizens' Radio	1,718	0.15	-	2	0	0
		Independent democrats and others	45,015	3.81	-	37	14	3
Total for pan-democracy camp			464,512	39.34	0.18	369	103	16
Independent and others			61,930	5.24	1.96	108	8	2
Total vaild votes			1,180,809	100.0	-	915	412	7
Invaild votes			21,497
Total (turnout 41.49%)			1,202,544

Results by district

Council	Previous control		Post-election control		DAB	DP	CF	ADPL	FTU	Lib	Civ	Others	Pro-dem	Pro-Beijing	Appointed & ex officio	Details
Central & Western	Pro-Beijing	Democratic	Pro-Beijing	DAB	5	4				1		5	4	11	3	Details
Wan Chai	Pro-Beijing	DAB	Pro-Beijing	DAB	3							2	2	9	2	Details
Eastern	Pro-Beijing	DAB	Pro-Beijing	DAB	16	2			1	2	3	13	6	30	6	Details
Southern	Pro-Beijing	Democratic	Pro-Beijing	Democratic	2	5				1	1	8	6	11	3	Details
Yau Tsim Mong	Pro-Beijing	DAB	Pro-Beijing	DAB	8	1						8	2	15	3	Details
Sham Shui Po	NOC	ADPL	Pro-Beijing	ADPL	4			7				10	7	14	3	Details
Kowloon City	Pro-Beijing	DAB	Pro-Beijing	DAB	7	1		4		1		9	5	17	3	Details
Wong Tai Sin	Pro-Beijing	DAB	Pro-Beijing	DAB	9	3		2	1	1		9	9	16	4	Details
Kwun Tong	Pro-Beijing	DAB	Pro-Beijing	DAB	12	2			1			20	6	28	5	Details
Tsuen Wan	Pro-Beijing	DAB	Pro-Beijing	DAB	4	1			1		2	9	4	13	3+2	Details
Tuen Mun	Pro-Beijing	DAB	Pro-Beijing	DAB	12	7		2				8	9	20	5+1	Details
Yuen Long	Pro-Beijing	DAB	Pro-Beijing	DAB	7	3			2	2		17	5	26	5+6	Details
North	Pro-Beijing	DAB	Pro-Beijing	DAB (majority)	14	1						2	1	16	3+4	Details
Tai Po	Pro-Beijing	DAB	Pro-Beijing	DAB	8	1						10	3	16	3+2	Details
Sai Kung	Pro-Beijing	DAB	Pro-Beijing	DAB	7	2	3		2			10	9	15	3+2	Details
Sha Tin	Pro-Beijing	Civil Force	Pro-Beijing	Civil Force	9	5	12			1		11	8	28	6+1	Details
Kwai Tsing	Pro-Beijing	Democratic	Pro-Beijing	Democratic	5	9			2			13	15	13	5+1	Details
Islands	Pro-Beijing	DAB	Pro-Beijing	DAB	4				1		1	1	4	9	3+8	Details
TOTAL					136	47	15	15	11	9	7	168	102	307	95

Vote summary

Votes, of total, by camp

Pan-democrats

(39.34%)

Other (5.24%)

Seats, of total, by camp

Pan-democrats

(25.00%)

Other (1.94%)

Popular vote

DAB			23.89%
Democratic			17.42%
Civic			4.03%
ADPL			3.85%
FTU			3.10%
Civil Force			2.98%
Neo Democrats			2.15%
People Power			1.99%
Liberal			1.98%
LSD			1.85%
NPP			1.32%
NWSC			1.22%
Others			34.22%

Seat summary

Seats

DAB			33.01%
Democratic			11.41%
ADPL			3.64%
Civil Force			3.64%
FTU			2.67%
Liberal			2.18%
Neo Democrats			1.94%
Civic			1.70%
NWSC			1.21%
Others			38.60%

Post-election issues

Following the election, pan-democrats complained of irregularities in voter registration records, and a number of candidates who lost in marginal seats made allegations of electoral fraud to the police. The government was criticised for failing to address the issue back in 2006 after alleged instances where multiple voters had registered under a same address surfaced. In defence, Chief Secretary Stephen Lam said that the matter was "investigated thoroughly five years ago", and that "no evidence of vote rigging were found".^[12] The police received 16 such complaints in 2011.^[13]

Among the irregularities alleged was that almost 100 voters in Central used registered offices and hotels as their home addresses.^[13] Democratic Party candidate, Winfield Chong, who lost by 24 votes, said six buildings in the Sai Wan constituency used by approximately 120 voters to register were either being demolished or had been demolished; Yeung Sui-yin, who lost the Belcher seat by 33 votes, filed a complaint with the police, also alleging ballot rigging.^[12]^[13]

King's Park constituency by two votes, took up his complaint with the ICAC. Lam alleged that, for example, five registered voters at one flat in the constituency where he was candidate all had different surnames; none of the voters registered at seven flats were present or past owners.^[12]^[13] two units said to have been used for storage purposes each had 10 registered voters.^[14] Following up on the allegations, the ICAC mounted "Operation Wave Spray", according to which 22 suspects were found to have "provided false information about their residential addresses to election officers"; six of them were charged.^[15]

References

^ "412 elected District Council members". Info.gov.hk. 7 November 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
^ "A league torn apart". The Standard. Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d South China morning post. Lai hits back over donations furore . 19 October 2011.
^ "民建聯指捐款多或影響決策 – 新浪網 – 新聞". News.sina.com.hk. Archived from the original on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Black Hands' in Hong Kong", pg 16, The Wall Street Journal. 5 December 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "4大黨收獻金年逾7000萬". worldjournal.com. 19 October 2011. Archived from the original on 21 October 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
^ ^a ^b Woo, Joyce (7 November 2011). "Pro-Beijing parties sweep Hong Kong district polls". yahoo!. AFP. Archived from the original on 5 December 2011.
^ Dioquino, Rose-An Jessica (8 November 2011). "Pro-domestic workers candidates lose in HK polls". GMA Network. Archived on 5 December 2011
^ "Hong Kong: 'World City' or Racist?". Jakarta Globe. Archived from the original on 18 November 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
^ "HK Pro-Democracy Parties to Review Strategy After Election Defeats". VOA News. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
^ "Pro-Beijing Parties Sweep Hong Kong District Polls". Jakarta Globe. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c Lee, Samson (29 November 2011) "Past haunts Lam on election fraud" Archived 10 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine, The Standard. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Lee, Colleen; Chong, Tanna; Lau, Stuart (29 November 2011). "Voter listed Four Seasons hotel as a home" Archived 29 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. South China Morning Post. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
^ Vote-rigging complaint by candidate RTHK. 29 November 2011. Archived 5 December 2011.
^ "ICAC detains 22 in vote-rigging probe". RTHK. 5 December 2011. Archived 5 December 2011.

External links

[1] "412 elected District Council members". Info.gov.hk. 7 November 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.

[2] "A league torn apart". The Standard. Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2011.

[scmp1-3] South China morning post. Lai hits back over donations furore . 19 October 2011.

[4] "民建聯指捐款多或影響決策 – 新浪網 – 新聞". News.sina.com.hk. Archived from the original on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.

[wsj20111205-5] "Black Hands' in Hong Kong", pg 16, The Wall Street Journal. 5 December 2011.

[wjournal1-6] "4大黨收獻金年逾7000萬". worldjournal.com. 19 October 2011. Archived from the original on 21 October 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.

[yahoo1-7] Woo, Joyce (7 November 2011). "Pro-Beijing parties sweep Hong Kong district polls". yahoo!. AFP. Archived from the original on 5 December 2011.

[gma20111108-8] Dioquino, Rose-An Jessica (8 November 2011). "Pro-domestic workers candidates lose in HK polls". GMA Network. Archived on 5 December 2011

[9] "Hong Kong: 'World City' or Racist?". Jakarta Globe. Archived from the original on 18 November 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.

[10] "HK Pro-Democracy Parties to Review Strategy After Election Defeats". VOA News. Retrieved 20 November 2011.

[11] "Pro-Beijing Parties Sweep Hong Kong District Polls". Jakarta Globe. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2011.

[standard20111129-12] Lee, Samson (29 November 2011) "Past haunts Lam on election fraud" Archived 10 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine, The Standard. Retrieved 5 December 2011.

[scmp20111129-13] Lee, Colleen; Chong, Tanna; Lau, Stuart (29 November 2011). "Voter listed Four Seasons hotel as a home" Archived 29 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. South China Morning Post. Retrieved 5 December 2011.

[14] Vote-rigging complaint by candidate RTHK. 29 November 2011. Archived 5 December 2011.

[15] "ICAC detains 22 in vote-rigging probe". RTHK. 5 December 2011. Archived 5 December 2011.

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v t e 2007 ← 2011 Hong Kong local elections → 2015
Results breakdown
Hong Kong Island	Central and Western Wan Chai Eastern Southern
Kowloon	Yau Tsim Mong Sham Shui Po Kowloon City Wong Tai Sin Kwun Tong
New Territories	Tsuen Wan Tuen Mun Yuen Long North Tai Po Sai Kung Sha Tin Kwai Tsing Islands

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