People Power (Hong Kong)

People Power
人民力量
Chairperson Erica Yuen
Founded 3 April 2011
Split from League of Social Democrats
Ideology Direct democracy
Populism
Radical democracy
Political position Centre-left to left-wing
Regional affiliation Pan-democracy camp
Colours           Yellow, black
Legislative Council
2 / 70
District Councils
1 / 507
Website
www.peoplepower.hk
Politics of Hong Kong
Political parties
Elections
People Power (Hong Kong)
Traditional Chinese 人民力量
Politics and government
of Hong Kong
Foreign relations

Other Hong Kong topics


Hong Kong portal

In 2011, members and supporters of People Power denounce the Democratic Party during the 1 July march

People Power (abbrev: PP; Chinese: 人民力量), is a political coalition in Hong Kong, taking a radical democratic position. It currently holds two seats in the Legislative Council .

History

The People Power was established in early 2011 after two legislators Raymond Wong Yuk-man and Albert Chan Wai-yip quit the League of Social Democrats (LSD), citing disagreement with leader Andrew To and his faction. About two hundreds of their supporters joined them, leaving the LSD in disarray.[1][2] Besides the defected LSD members, the party was formed by political groups including the Wong Yuk-man's Proletariat Political Institute, Power Voters supported by Stephen Shiu Yeuk-yuen, the owner of the Hong Kong Reporter, the re-grouped Frontier and the two pro-Taiwan organisations China Youth Organization and Democratic Alliance.

Although considered part of the pan-democracy camp, the party was formed as the coalition to spine the pro-democratic Democratic Party who supported the 2010 constitutional reform package in the 2011 District Council elections,. The People Power claimed that the Democratic Party had already defected to the Communist Party of China and "sold out" the voters. The party filled in 62 candidates, many of them ran in the constituencies against both the Democratic Party and pro-Beijing candidates. Albert Chan gave up his seat in the Lai Hing constituency in Tsuen Wan District to spine the Democratic Party chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan in Lok Tsui in Tuen Mun District. The People Power failed in winning any seat but a seat in Fung Cheung where the its candidate Johnny Mak Ip-shing did not spine the pan-democracy party. After winning just one seat of 62 contested, Albert Chan admitted that the strategy had failed. Nevertheless he insisted that the party would 'stay the course'.[3]

In May 2012, Albert Chan and Wong Yuk-man staged a weeks-long filibuster by submitting 1306 amendments altogether to the Legislative Council (Amendment) Bill 2012, by which the government attempted to forbid resigning lawmakers from participating in by-elections as the government's response to the "Five Constituency Referendum movement" launched by the LSD in 2010. On the morning of 17 May 2012, Jasper Tsang Yok-sing, President of the Legislative Council adopt Article 92 of the Standing Order, which allows the president follow foreign parliament rules for unregulated behaviors to terminate the debate. In the end, all amendments were defeated and the Bill was passed.

Shortly before 2012 LegCo elections, Johnny Mak, the party's sole District Councillor, and his group Democratic Alliance broke apart from the People Power, as Johnny Mak wanted to lead a candidate list in the New Territories West. The party gained more than ten percent of the vote in the geographical constituency and won three seats. Wong Yuk-man and Albert Chan were re-elected to the Legislative Council, with Ray Chan Chi-chuen newly elected in the New Territories East as the first openly gay legislator in Hong Kong history.[4] Chairman Christopher Lau Gar-hung failed to win a seat with Stephen Shiu in Hong Kong Island. Wong Yuk-man's protege Wong Yeung-tat also failed to win a seat where he contested against the LSD chairman Andrew To Wong Yuk-man split with a year ago. The People Power fiercely attacked the Democratic Party candidates during the campaign and called for blank vote in the District Council (Second) constituency created under the 2010 constitutional reform package and not voting for the Democratic Party and the Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood (ADPL).

In May 2013, the People Power once again staged a month-long filibuster by moving a total of 710 amendments on the Budget Appropriation Bill debate, to press for a universal pension scheme and a HK$10,000 cash handout to be included in John Tsang's budget.[5] The government warned that the service would shut down if the budget bill do not pass. Jasper Tsang ordered to end the filibuster on 13 May after 55 hours spent to debate 17 of the 148 amendments.[6] The Appropriation Bill was passed on 21 May 2013 with 684 amendments negatived.[7]

On 20 May 2013, Wong Yuk-man announced his resignation from People Power. It was believed to be related to the earlier his earlier split with Stephen Shiu Yeuk-yuen, the owner of the Hong Kong Reporter and People Power's financial supporters over the Occupy Central plan.[8]

In March 2014, in a by-election for the South Horizons West seat on the Southern District Council, the group's chairman Erica Yuen secured second place with 1,083 votes, behind Judy Chan Ka-pui of the New People's Party (2,023 votes) and ahead of veteran Democrat Sin Chung-kai (920 votes).[9]

Coalition members

Performance in elections

Legislative Council elections

Election Number of
popular votes		 % of
popular votes		 GC
seats		 FC
seats		 Total seats +/− Position
2012 176,250Steady 9.73Steady 3 0
3 / 70
 1Increase 7thSteady

District Council elections

Election Number of
popular votes		 % of
popular votes		 Total
elected seats		 +/−
2011 23,465Steady 1.99Steady
1 / 412
 1Decrease

See also

References

  1. ↑ 黃毓民倒戈 社民連分裂伙陳偉業牽頭退黨 長毛未有決定, *Ming Pao*, 24 Jan 2011
  2. ↑ League on verge of collapse as heavyweights lead party exodus, SCMP, 24 Jan 2011
  3. ↑ People Power admit election mistakes, RTHK, 9 Nov 2011
  4. ↑ Tanna Chong, "People Power and Neo Democrat radicals punish Democrats," SCMP, 11 September 2012
  5. ↑ "Filibustering continues over budget". RTHK. 29 April 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  6. ↑ Lai, Ying-kit (13 May 2013). "Legco president Jasper Tsang orders end to budget bill filibuster". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  7. ↑ LegCo Reporter Council Meeting 2012-2013 Issue No. 28 (21 May 2013)
  8. ↑ But, Joshua (20 May 2013). "Lawmaker Wong Yuk-man quits People Power". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  9. ↑ Democratic Party ponders future after 'crushing' by-election defeat, SCMP, 24 March 2014

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to People Power.