National People's Congress election, 2008 (Hong Kong)

The election for the Hong Kong deputies to the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) was held on 25 January 2008. 36 Hong Kong deputies were elected by an electoral college composed of 1,231 members.

Background

Article 21 of the Hong Kong Basic Law stipulates:

Chinese citizens who are residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be entitled to participate in the management of state affairs according to law. In accordance with the assigned number of seats and the selection method specified by the National People's Congress, the Chinese citizens among the residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall locally elect deputies of the Region to the National People's Congress to participate in the work of the highest organ of state power.

A 1,231-strong electoral college composed of the following:

• Members of the previous electoral college that had elected the Hong Kong deputies to the 10th National People's Congress;
• Hong Kong delegates of the 10th Chinese People's Political Consultative Committee (CPPCC);
• Members of the Election Committee (which elects the Chief Executive) who are Chinese nationals, except those who opt out; and
• The Chief Executive of the HKSAR.

Overview

The election took place at the second plenary meeting of the 11th National People's Congress election meeting on 25 January. It was attended by National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) vice-chairman Sheng Huaren and presided by Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen as executive chairman of the 19-member presidium.^[1]

9 incumbent delegates decided to step down including Allen Lee Peng-fei, Tsang Tak-sing, Sik Chi-wai and Tsang Hin-chi and member of the NPCSC Ng Hong-mun. It attracted new faces such as Executive Councillors Laura Cha Shih May-lung and Bernard Charnwut Chan, chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce Ian Fok Chun-wan, former chairman of the Kowloon-Canton Railway Michael Tien Puk-sun and former Secretary for Education and Manpower Fanny Law Fan Chiu-fun. There were also three pan-democrats, James To Kun-sun and Mak Hoi-wah of the Democratic Party and Frederick Fung Kin-kee of the Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood.^[2]

1,169 of the 1,231 electoral college members cast their votes. Each elector had to choose 36 candidates. The top 36 candidates in the ballot, as long as they receive more than 50 per cent support, would be elected. 36 of the 52 candidates were elected while 7 candidates were elected as supplementary deputies. 2 incumbents, Philip Wong Yu-hong and David Chu Yu-lin failed to retain their seats in surprise.^[3]

Election result

Elected members (36)

Supplementary members (4)

Did not elected (10)

References