Hong Kong Progressive Alliance

Last updated

Hong Kong Progressive Alliance
香港協進聯盟
Chairman Ambrose Lau
Founded7 July 1994;29 years ago (1994-07-07)
Dissolved16 February 2005;19 years ago (2005-02-16)
Merger of Liberal Democratic
Federation of Hong Kong
Merged into Democratic Alliance for
the Betterment and
Progress of Hong Kong
Headquarters11/F., Chung Nam
Building, 1 Lockhart
Road
, Hong Kong
Ideology Chinese nationalism
Conservatism (HK) [1]
Economic liberalism
Political position Centre-right
Regional affiliation Pro-Beijing camp
Colors  Red
Hong Kong Progressive Alliance
Traditional Chinese 香港協進聯盟
Simplified Chinese 香港协进联盟

The Hong Kong Progressive Alliance (HKPA) was a pro-Beijing, pro-business political party in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. It was established in 1994 and was merged into the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB) in 2005. The DAB then renamed as the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.

Contents

Stances

The party was composed of mainly businessmen and professionals. The party was considered a pro-business conservative [1] and pro-Beijing one. It assured another voting block in support of Beijing's interest. [1] The basic platform of the party was to defend "One country-two systems" and the Basic Law, the mini-constitution of Hong Kong. It advocated handling political and social issues in a moderate, pragmatic and harmonious manner, and the 'progressive' development of democracy, emphasising 'stability, prosperity and progress'.

Party members maintained close relationships with Mainland China authorities. A number of them were deputies to the National People's Congress and members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference of the People's Republic of China.

History

Old logo used from 1994-97 before merging with the Liberal Democratic Federation of Hong Kong Hong Kong Progressive Alliance old logo.svg
Old logo used from 1994–97 before merging with the Liberal Democratic Federation of Hong Kong

In July 1994, solicitor Ambrose Lau founded the 52-member Hong Kong Progressive Alliance in the direction of the New China News Agency which consisted of mostly pro-business factor of the CCP's united front, the Hong Kong Chinese Reform Association, the Federation for the Stability of Hong Kong and the New Hong Kong Alliance in preparation for the 1995 Legislative Council Election. [2] Ambrose Lau became the only member won the seat in the election through the Election Committee. It merged with the Liberal Democratic Federation (LDF) in 1997, another pro-business party formed in 1990.

The party won 5 seats in the 1998 election of the Legislative Council, of which 2 were from functional constituencies and 3 were from the election commission. In the 2000 LegCo election, the party won 4 seats (excluding Choy So-yuk who had joined the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB) in the election). These included 1 seat each from geographical and function constituencies and 2 from election committee.

With the abolition of the election committee LegCo seats in 2004 election, the HKPA had an internal dispute on whether the party should send members for geographical direct elections. David Chu Yu-lin intended to run for a seat in New Territories East, and began canvassing, but suddenly decided to quit in late July. Tang Siu-tong also declined to run for re-election.

After that the party decided to let Tso Wung-wai to run for the election in New Territories East only, though there was a rumour that an independent candidate in New Territories West, Chow Ping-tim, was actually a member of HKPA. However, some outsiders think that HKPA was insincere in participating in direct elections and the dispute shows the party came to a decline.[ citation needed ] The party lost all the seats in the Legislative Council in the election.

HKPA merged with the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB) on 16 February 2005.

Members of the party in the Legislative Council

Electoral performance

Legislative Council elections

ElectionNumber of
popular votes
 % of
popular votes
GC
seats
FC
seats
EC
seats
Total seats+/−Position
1995 25,964Steady2.svg2.85Steady2.svg001
1 / 60
1Increase2.svg7thSteady2.svg
1998 023
5 / 60
4thIncrease2.svg
2000 25,773Decrease2.svg1.95Decrease2.svg112
4 / 60
1Decrease2.svg4thSteady2.svg
2004 14,174Decrease2.svg0.80Decrease2.svg00
0 / 60
4Decrease2.svg0Decrease2.svg

Municipal elections

ElectionNumber of
popular votes
 % of
popular votes
UrbCo
seats
RegCo
seats
Total
elected seats
1995 5,278Steady2.svg0.95Steady2.svg
0 / 32
0 / 27
0 / 59

District Council elections

ElectionNumber of
popular votes
 % of
popular votes
Total
elected seats
+/−
1994 3,288Steady2.svg0.48Steady2.svg
1 / 346
0Steady2.svg
1999 23,168Increase2.svg2.86Increase2.svg
16 / 390
1Decrease2.svg
2003 29,091Increase2.svg2.77Decrease2.svg
13 / 400
5Decrease2.svg

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong</span> Political party in Hong Kong

The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) is a pro-Beijing conservative political party registered since 1992 in Hong Kong. Chaired by Gary Chan and holding 13 Legislative Council seats, it is currently the largest party in the legislature and in terms of membership, far ahead of other parties. It has been a key supporting force to the SAR administration and the central government's policies on Hong Kong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Frontier (Hong Kong)</span> Political party in Hong Kong

The Frontier was a pro-democracy political group in Hong Kong. It was founded on 26 August 1996 by a group of Legislative Council members and democratic activists headed by Convenor Emily Lau. It was merged into the Democratic Party, the pro-democracy flagship party on 23 November 2008. A new party bearing the same name was established in 2010 by former members who opposed the previous Frontier joining the Democratic Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyd Ho</span> Hong Kong politician

Cyd Ho Sau-lan is a former member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (Legco) for the Hong Kong Island constituency.

Dr. Tso Wung-wai, BBS is a Hong Kong politician and chemistry professor. He is an adjunct professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and has also served as a Hong Kong delegate to the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kowloon West (1998 constituency)</span>

The Kowloon West geographical constituency was one of the five geographical constituencies of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong from 1998 to 2021. It was established in 1998 for the first SAR Legislative Council election and was abolished under the 2021 overhaul of the Hong Kong electoral system. In the 2016 Legislative Council election, it elected six members of the Legislative Council using the Hare quota of party-list proportional representation. It had 602,733 registered electorates in 2020. The constituency corresponded to the districts of Yau Tsim Mong, Sham Shui Po, and Kowloon City.

Choy So-yuk, BBS, JP is a Hong Kong politician. She was an elected member of Eastern District Council and a Hong Kong Deputy of the National People’s Congress. From 1997 to 2008 she was a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong and its forerunner. Choy is a member of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) and her main supporters are pro-Beijing politicians and organisations, especially the Fujianese in North Point on Hong Kong Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 Hong Kong legislative election</span> Elections in Hong Kong

The 2000 Hong Kong Legislative Council election was held on 10 September 2000 for members of the 2nd Legislative Council (LegCo) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). The election returned 24 members from directly elected geographical constituencies, 6 seats from the Election Committee constituency and 30 members from functional constituencies, of which 9 uncontested.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1995 Hong Kong legislative election</span> Election held in Hong Kong

The 1995 Hong Kong Legislative Council election for members of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (LegCo) was held on 17 September 1995. It was the first, and only, fully elected legislative election in the colonial period before transferring Hong Kong's sovereignty to China two years later. The elections returned 20 members from directly elected geographical constituencies, 30 members from indirectly elected functional constituencies, and 10 members from elections committee constituency who were elected by all District Board members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Hong Kong local elections</span>

The 2007 Hong Kong District Council elections were held on 18 November 2007. Elections were held to all 18 districts of Hong Kong, returned 405 members from directly elected constituencies out of total 534 councils member. A total number of 886 candidates contesting in 364 seats, while 41 seats were uncontested. A total number of 1.4 million voters cast their ballots, consisting 38% of the electorate, significantly lower than the last elections in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1999 Hong Kong local elections</span>

The 1999 Hong Kong District Council elections were held on 28 November 1999 for all 18 districts of Hong Kong, for 390 members from directly elected constituencies out of total 519 council members. It was the first District Council election after the handover of Hong Kong in 1997, replacing the existing Provisional District Councils appointed by Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2003 Hong Kong local elections</span>

The 2003 Hong Kong District Council elections were held on 23 November 2003 for all 18 districts of Hong Kong, 400 members from directly elected constituencies out of total 529 council members. It was the second District Council election after the handover of Hong Kong in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberal Democratic Federation of Hong Kong</span> Political party in Hong Kong

The Liberal Democratic Federation of Hong Kong was a pro-Beijing pro-business and conservative political party in Hong Kong. It was established in 1990, and was composed of mainly conservative businessmen and professionals. It contested in the District Board elections, Urban and Regional Council elections and the first Legislative Council election in 1991 against the liberal United Democrats of Hong Kong (UDHK). It was merged into the Hong Kong Progressive Alliance in 1997. Chaired by Hu Fa-kuang and vice-chaired by Maria Tam and Philip Kwok, the leading figures included Tso Wung-wai, Howard Young, and Daniel Heung.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5th Legislative Council of Hong Kong</span> 2012–2016 Legislative Council of Hong Kong

The Fifth Legislative Council of Hong Kong was the fifth meeting of the legislative branch of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The membership of the LegCo is based on the 2012 election. The term of the session is from 1 October 2012 to 30 September 2016, during the term in office of the Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying. Due to the new arrangements agreed in a contentious LegCo vote in 2010, the session consists of the new total of 70 seats in LegCo, ten more than previously, with 35 members elected in geographical constituencies through direct elections, and 35 members in functional constituencies, in which five District Council (Second) functional constituency seats each represent all 18 District councils of Hong Kong voted for by all resident voters in Hong Kong. The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong remained the largest party while the pan-democrats secured the one-third crucial minority. Notable new members of the LegCo members include Gary Fan from the new established party Neo Democrats and first openly gay councillor, People Power's Ray Chan Chi-chuen.

Choy Kan-pui, BBS, JP is a former Hong Kong legislator and Sha Tin villager. He ran in the 1982 Hong Kong district boards election representing the Tin Sum village in Sha Tin where he rooted and continued his office until 2003. He was also the chairman of the Sha Tin District Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3rd Legislative Council of Hong Kong</span> 2004–2008 Legislative Council of Hong Kong

The Third Legislative Council of Hong Kong was the meeting of the legislative branch of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The membership of the LegCo is based on the 2004 election. The term of the session was from 1 October 2004 to 30 September 2008, during the second half of the Tung Chee-hwa's administration until his resignation in 2005 and was replaced by Donald Tsang for the rest of the term, and also the beginning of the third term of Chief Executive after Tsang won in the 2007 Election. The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB) became the largest party with 10 seats. Notable newcomers to the Legislative Council included Leung Kwok-hung, Alan Leong, Ronny Tong, Albert Cheng, and Jeffrey Lam.

The election for the Hong Kong deputies to the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) was held on 19 December 2012. 36 Hong Kong deputies were elected by an electoral college composed of 1,621 members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 New Territories East by-election</span>

The 2016 New Territories East by-election was held on 28 February 2016 after the incumbent Legislative Councillor Ronny Tong Ka-wah of New Territories East quit the Civic Party and resigned from the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (LegCo), effective on 1 October 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 Hong Kong legislative election in Hong Kong Island</span>

These are the Hong Kong Island results of the 2004 Hong Kong legislative election. The election was held on 12 September 2004 and all 6 seats in Hong Kong Island were contested. The pro-democracy camp failed to win four out of six seats with the two tickets of the Democratic Party and Article 45 Concern Group's Audrey Eu and The Frontier's Cyd Ho joint ticket. The last-minute emergency call of Martin Lee cost the defeat of Cyd Ho in a narrow margin to Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong's (DAB) Choy So-yuk. Legislative Council President Rita Fan also contested in Hong Kong Island for the first time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">March 2018 Hong Kong by-elections</span>

The 2018 Hong Kong Legislative Council by-election was held on 11 March 2018 for four of the six vacancies in the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (LegCo) - the Hong Kong Island, Kowloon West and New Territories East geographical constituencies and the Architectural, Surveying, Planning and Landscape functional constituency - resulting from the disqualification of six pro-democrat and localist camp Legislative Council members over the 2016 oath-taking controversy. The by-election for the two other seats was not held due to pending legal appeals by the two disqualified legislators.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Rioni, S. G., ed. (2002). Hong Kong in Focus: Political and Economic Issues. Nova Publishers. p. 24.
  2. Loh, Christine (2010). Underground Front: The Chinese Communist Party in Hong Kong. Hong Kong University Press. p. 305.