London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

Hong Kong lawmakers overhaul electoral system

Hong Kong lawmakers overhaul electoral system

Hong Kong lawmakers passed a bill Thursday to overhaul the electoral system and ensure only "patriots" govern.
Lawmakers voted 40-2 in favor of the bill, with pro-establishment lawmakers voting in favor of it, and two non-pro-establishment forces voting against it, Hong Kong Free Press reported.

The bill meets Beijing's requirement that only "patriots" govern the city and expands pro-establishment influence, South China Morning Post reported.

It also includes other sweeping amendments to overhaul Hong Kong's electoral system.

The changes to the former British colony's electoral system include a first amendment reducing the number of elected officials in Hong Kong's Legislative Council, known as LegCo, from 35 to 20. The first amendment also allows Chief Executive Carrie Lam to appoint 40 members with another 30 filled by trade representatives. The number of seats in LegCo will also be expanded from 70 to 90 and national security will run background checks to ensure they uphold Hong Kong's mini-constitution.

A second amendment to the bill also makes sweeping changes, bolstering the Beijing-controlled Elections Committee, charged with electing the chief executive, by 300 members to 1,500.

"Having to state explicitly that 'patriots govern Hong Kong' is pathetic, it is a basic [requirement]," lawmaker Tommy Cheung told HKFP. "But Hong Kong was on a wrong track after the handover because of the bomb left by the British government, troublemakers in Hong Kong kept on poisoning Hong Kong people."

Pierre Chan, one of the two non-pro-establishment lawmakers, told HKFP the overhauled election system was a "regression in democracy."

Lam hailed the bill in a statement as a landmark for ensuring patriots govern, in accordance with the principle of "One Country, Two Systems."

She also hailed the legislation for "plugging the loopholes in Hong Kong's electoral system that seriously jeopardized Hong Kong's constitutional order, endangered national security and obstructed governance as reflected in the political chaos in recent years," in the statement.

The bill was first proposed in March and passed after just over a month of LegCo meetings in the absence of opposition lawmakers.

All of Hong Kong's pro-democracy lawmakers resigned last year to protest a new law by the National People's Congress Standing Committee, China's top legislative body, which allowed for removal of "unpatriotic" sitting legislators, after four of their colleagues were removed under the new measure.

The new law stipulated legislators would lose their positions for infractions that included promoting independence, along with engaging in "unpatriotic " acts considered a threat to national security.

Democratic Party Chairman Wu Chi-wai said the new law effectively eliminated "separation of powers" under Hong Kong's Basic Law established in 1997 after Britain relinquished control of the city to Beijing.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×