Abstract: Relations between the executive and the legislature lie at the heart of the debate over institutional change and reflect the deep divisions within Hong Kong society as the territory becomes part of China. For the colonial and Chinese governments, many business groups and some civil servants, a principal concern has been to maintain an 'executive-led' government in which the Legislative Council plays a subordinate, mainly advisory, role. Their fears are that a legislature with real powers would lead to increased taxation, threatening economic prosperity, or would pose a challenge to the authority of the regime. By contrast, for the Democratic Party and its allies, the Legislative Council is the focal point for their demands for a fully directly elected chamber and for their efforts to control the government through that chamber. However, despite considerable support for the democratic movement and its representation as the largest group in the Legislative Council, its members have been denied positions on the Executive Council and have not been able to exert a significant influence on policy-making. This chapter explores the relationship between the Councils and the future role of the legislature in post-1997 institutional arrangements.
Publication Year: 1998
Publication Date: 1998-01-01
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 19
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