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Democratic Party (Hong Kong)
Encyclopedia
The Democratic Party is a pro-democracy
political party
in Hong Kong
. It was established on 2 October 1994. The party is currently the second largest party in the Legislative Council
, headed by Chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan and, following the November 2008 merger with the Frontier, had around 745 members, nine legislators and 60 district councillors until the internal split regarding to the controversial 2012 constitutional reform package.
sovereignty over Hong Kong. However, since the Handover it has consistently stressed the "two systems" part of the "one country, two systems
" principle. The party's stance on Hong Kong's future development differs from that of pro-Beijing parties
. It believes Hong Kong must develop more democratic institutions and preserve freedoms and human rights in order to achieve prosperity.
The party proposed policies on various areas of governance through designated spokespersons, including:
Overall, the Democratic Party advocates economic policies http://www.dphk.org/e_site/policydet_e.html#18 pretty close to "liberalism
" in the sense of John Rawls
(rather than, say, of Robert Nozick
or Friedrich Hayek
, as commonly accepted outside North America), in sharp contrast with the traditional radical free-market orientation of Hong Kong. However, this point is rarely mentioned in the speeches held by party members during their trips abroad to seek political support. The party's position on social or cultural issues is not well-defined but verges on the conservative
, partly due to sizeable support from Catholic constituents. In a way that may seem contradictory to traditional liberal ideology, the party generally opposes the legalization of commercial sex or gambling operations.
which was formed in April 1990, and the Meeting Point
which was formed in 1983. It was the first group to formally consider itself a political party in Hong Kong.
Before the transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong from the UK to the People's Republic of China in July 1997, the DP was the largest party - following the earlier success of the pro-democracy camp in the 1991 Hong Kong legislative election
, the party won 19 seats in the 1995 Legislative Council election.
The popularity of the party principally rose from its position towards the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
, for which it had solemnly condemned the Chinese Government. In the run-up to 1997, with widespread sentiment of uncertainty then towards the future of Hong Kong under Chinese rule, the party supported the controversial package of political reform bought about by the last British colonial Hong Kong Governor, Chris Patten
.
The party's stance conflicted with the PRC government's, which, for a while, earned the party more popularity and recognition both locally and overseas. The founder and then party chairman, Mr. Martin Lee Chu-ming, became well-known internationally in the run-up to reunification as a human rights and democracy fighter, and won a number of international human rights awards.
The party refused to join the Provisional Legislative Council
established in December 1996 in protest of its formation. As the body became the official legislature of Hong Kong SAR after reunification, the party lost all its seats in the legislature, until the first LegCo election
of the HKSAR on 24 May 1998.
During this period, the party's popularity declined. Some analysis attributed this to increased concerns on economic issues as opposed to political ones, and unpopular party positions, such as on the Right of Abode issue
in 1999. In the second LegCo election
two years later in 2000, the party's share of the vote in the geographical constituencies dropped to 35%, and the party secured 9 out of the 24 directly elected seats. Its total number of seats in LegCo remained at 12.
Meanwhile, the party was plagued by internal fragmentation, further affecting its image. Lau Chin Shek
was expelled from the party in 2000. LegCo member Chan Wai-yip quit the party in December 2001 following the succession of former Chairman Martin Lee by Yeung Sum, leaving the party with 11 seats in LegCo. In April 2002, some members in the "Young Turks" camp within the party left and joined The Frontier
.
This factionalism stemmed from the political and economic orientation of the party platform. On the political side, some "Young Turks" of the party considered the party leaders too eager to establish a "dialogue" with Beijing
and the HKSAR Government, and insufficiently confrontational with the authorities. Some also considered the party too "middle-class" and distant from the grass-roots on labour issues - such as proposed legislation on a minimum wage, which the party did not support.
2002 and 2003 saw a rebound in popularity, largely due to the Article 23
issue and the low popularity of the HKSAR Government headed by Tung Chee Hwa
. The party benefited from its opposition standpoint and achieved an impressive victory in the 2003 District Council elections
, claiming 92 seats compared with 86 in the last election in 1999.
In 2004, the popularity of other groups and individuals in the pro-democratic camp (such as members of the Article 45 Concern Group
and Albert Cheng
), together with the emergence of scandals concerning two of the party's candidates in the LegCo election this year, began to wane. As a result, the Democratic Party only won 9 seats (7 in geographical constituencies and 2 in functional constituencies) overall, becoming the third largest party in LegCo behind the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong
(12) and the Liberal Party
(10). Last-minute party tactics aimed at securing votes in the Hong Kong Island
geographical constituency ironically led to the defeat of another democratic camp candidate, Cyd Ho
, causing further dissatisfaction among some supporters of the party and the democratic camp generally.
Since early 2005, 24 members had quit the party, including district councillor Fong Chan Bong (who was forced out by the party) and Lau Tak Cheung. Twelve district councillors also left the party. Another district councillor died in a car accident. The number of district councillors decreased by 13 to 79.
In March, 2006, the Mainstream faction alleged that some senior members were involved in spying activities of China. The "suspects" were all Young Turks members including vice-chairman Chan King Ming
and Gary Fan
.
merged. At the time, the Democratic Party had 636 members, eight legislators and 57 district council members, while the Frontier had one legislator, Emily Lau
, three district councillors and around 110 members. The following month, Albert Ho was reelected chairman, and Lau, formerly the driving force of the Frontier, became a vice-chairman of the new combined party.
In 2010, the party achieved a historic breakthrough in the run-up to the Legco vote on the government's 2012 constitutional reform package when it reached an agreement with Beijing to allow five new functional constituency
members of Legco to be elected by popular vote. The move divided opinion in the pan-democratic camp but ultimately allowed the bill to pass. After the agreement with Beijing, 30 members (comprising 4% of the membership) left the party as they accusing their leaders of betraying the people and slowing the pace towards universal suffrage. During the annual July 1 rally for democracy in 2010, many protesters chanted, 'Shame on you, Democratic Party, for selling out Hong Kong people'.
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. It was established on 2 October 1994. The party is currently the second largest party in the Legislative Council
Legislative Council of Hong Kong
The Legislative Council is the unicameral legislature of Hong Kong.-History:The Legislative Council of Hong Kong was set up in 1843 as a colonial legislature under British rule...
, headed by Chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan and, following the November 2008 merger with the Frontier, had around 745 members, nine legislators and 60 district councillors until the internal split regarding to the controversial 2012 constitutional reform package.
Party beliefs
From the outset, the party supported the restoration of ChinesePeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
sovereignty over Hong Kong. However, since the Handover it has consistently stressed the "two systems" part of the "one country, two systems
One country, two systems
"One country, two systems" is an idea originally proposed by Deng Xiaoping, then Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China , for the reunification of China during the early 1980s...
" principle. The party's stance on Hong Kong's future development differs from that of pro-Beijing parties
Pro-Beijing Camp
The Pro-Beijing Camp, pro-Establishment Camp, pan-Establishment Camp is a segment of Hong Kong society that supports the policies and views of the People's Republic of China before and after the handover of Hong Kong in 1997.It is also nicknamed the royalists or loyalists.The term can be used to...
. It believes Hong Kong must develop more democratic institutions and preserve freedoms and human rights in order to achieve prosperity.
The party proposed policies on various areas of governance through designated spokespersons, including:
- Amendment of the Basic LawHong Kong Basic LawThe Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, or simply Hong Kong Basic Law, serves as the constitutional document of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China...
to achieve more democracy and safeguard freedoms, while achieving closer economic cooperation with Mainland ChinaMainland ChinaMainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
. - Protection of human rightsHuman rightsHuman rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
. - Maintain Hong Kong's status as an international finance and trade centre and improve its economic infrastructure (concrete details not given), as well as a more flexible way to control public expenditure.
- Better monitoring of public services and utilities (i.e. more accountability), and strengthened measures to protect the environment.
- More resources for education, with less vague policies.
- Reasonable (i.e. larger) share of economic achievements by the employee for the employee, and increased involvement by the Government to protect labour laws in accordance with social needs.
- Adopt measures to regulate property prices from fluctuation, and provide adequate public housingPublic housingPublic housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
- Increase spending on social welfare.
- Universal suffrage by 2007/8 (but since Dec 2005, 2012).
Overall, the Democratic Party advocates economic policies http://www.dphk.org/e_site/policydet_e.html#18 pretty close to "liberalism
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
" in the sense of John Rawls
John Rawls
John Bordley Rawls was an American philosopher and a leading figure in moral and political philosophy. He held the James Bryant Conant University Professorship at Harvard University....
(rather than, say, of Robert Nozick
Robert Nozick
Robert Nozick was an American political philosopher, most prominent in the 1970s and 1980s. He was a professor at Harvard University. He is best known for his book Anarchy, State, and Utopia , a right-libertarian answer to John Rawls's A Theory of Justice...
or Friedrich Hayek
Friedrich Hayek
Friedrich August Hayek CH , born in Austria-Hungary as Friedrich August von Hayek, was an economist and philosopher best known for his defense of classical liberalism and free-market capitalism against socialist and collectivist thought...
, as commonly accepted outside North America), in sharp contrast with the traditional radical free-market orientation of Hong Kong. However, this point is rarely mentioned in the speeches held by party members during their trips abroad to seek political support. The party's position on social or cultural issues is not well-defined but verges on the conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
, partly due to sizeable support from Catholic constituents. In a way that may seem contradictory to traditional liberal ideology, the party generally opposes the legalization of commercial sex or gambling operations.
1994-1997
The Democratic Party was formed with the merger of the two largest pro-democracy political groups at the time, the United Democrats of Hong KongUnited Democrats of Hong Kong
The United Democrats of Hong Kong was a pro-democracy political party in Hong Kong. By 1995 it was merged with the Meeting Point to form the Democratic Party...
which was formed in April 1990, and the Meeting Point
Meeting Point
The Meeting Point was a political organisation formed for the discussion for the Sino-British negotiation on the question of Hong Kong prospect in 1983. It later on joined the first direct election of the geographical constituency seats in 1991 legislative election and won a historical landslide...
which was formed in 1983. It was the first group to formally consider itself a political party in Hong Kong.
Before the transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong from the UK to the People's Republic of China in July 1997, the DP was the largest party - following the earlier success of the pro-democracy camp in the 1991 Hong Kong legislative election
Hong Kong legislative election, 1991
The 1991 Hong Kong legislative election for members of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong ; the election of the members of functional constituencies was held on 12 September 1995 and the election of geographical constituency seats was held on 15 September. It was the first ever direct election of...
, the party won 19 seats in the 1995 Legislative Council election.
The popularity of the party principally rose from its position towards the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, also known as the June Fourth Incident in Chinese , were a series of demonstrations in and near Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the People's Republic of China beginning on 15 April 1989...
, for which it had solemnly condemned the Chinese Government. In the run-up to 1997, with widespread sentiment of uncertainty then towards the future of Hong Kong under Chinese rule, the party supported the controversial package of political reform bought about by the last British colonial Hong Kong Governor, Chris Patten
Chris Patten
Christopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes, CH, PC , is the last Governor of British Hong Kong, a former British Conservative politician, and the current chairman of the BBC Trust....
.
The party's stance conflicted with the PRC government's, which, for a while, earned the party more popularity and recognition both locally and overseas. The founder and then party chairman, Mr. Martin Lee Chu-ming, became well-known internationally in the run-up to reunification as a human rights and democracy fighter, and won a number of international human rights awards.
The party refused to join the Provisional Legislative Council
Provisional Legislative Council
The Provisional Legislative Council or the PLC was the interim legislature of Hong Kong from 1997 to 1998. The legislature was founded in Guangzhou and sat in Shenzhen from 1996 until the handover in 1997 and moved to Hong Kong to serves as the temporary replacement of Legislative Council of Hong...
established in December 1996 in protest of its formation. As the body became the official legislature of Hong Kong SAR after reunification, the party lost all its seats in the legislature, until the first LegCo election
Hong Kong legislative election, 1998
The 1998 Hong Kong legislative election for members of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong was held on 24 May 1998. The elections returned 20 members from directly elected geographical constituencies and 30 members from functional constituencies, of which 10 were uncontested.-Geographical...
of the HKSAR on 24 May 1998.
1997-2008
Under the proportional representation system which the HKSAR Government considered the best representation of the spectrum of views of the community, the party secured 12 out of 60 seats in the first LegCo election in 1998, including 9 out of 20 seats from the geographical constituencies, in which the party received 43% of the vote.During this period, the party's popularity declined. Some analysis attributed this to increased concerns on economic issues as opposed to political ones, and unpopular party positions, such as on the Right of Abode issue
Right of abode issue, Hong Kong
The right of abode in Hong Kong is the right to legally reside in Hong Kong and was governed by rules both under British and Chinese administration. As the People's Republic of China stood to resume sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997, the nationality of Hong Kongers as well as their right of abode...
in 1999. In the second LegCo election
Hong Kong legislative election, 2000
The 2000 Hong Kong legislative election for members of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong was held on 10 September 2000. The elections returned 24 members from directly elected geographical constituencies and 30 members from functional constituencies,of which 9 uncontested.-General...
two years later in 2000, the party's share of the vote in the geographical constituencies dropped to 35%, and the party secured 9 out of the 24 directly elected seats. Its total number of seats in LegCo remained at 12.
Meanwhile, the party was plagued by internal fragmentation, further affecting its image. Lau Chin Shek
Lau Chin Shek
Lau Chin-shek is the President of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions and a vice Chairman of the Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee. He was born in Guangzhou and had a secondary school education...
was expelled from the party in 2000. LegCo member Chan Wai-yip quit the party in December 2001 following the succession of former Chairman Martin Lee by Yeung Sum, leaving the party with 11 seats in LegCo. In April 2002, some members in the "Young Turks" camp within the party left and joined The Frontier
The Frontier (Hong Kong)
The Frontier was a relatively radical pro-democracy political group in the Hong Kong. It was established on 26 August 1996. The group was headed by former convenor Emily Lau Wai-hing since its establishment as a loose group of individual pro-democracy activists.On 23 November 2008, the Frontier...
.
This factionalism stemmed from the political and economic orientation of the party platform. On the political side, some "Young Turks" of the party considered the party leaders too eager to establish a "dialogue" with Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and the HKSAR Government, and insufficiently confrontational with the authorities. Some also considered the party too "middle-class" and distant from the grass-roots on labour issues - such as proposed legislation on a minimum wage, which the party did not support.
2002 and 2003 saw a rebound in popularity, largely due to the Article 23
Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23
Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23 is the basis of a security law proposed by the Government of Hong Kong. It states:On 24 September 2002 the government released its proposals for the anti-subversion law. It is the cause of considerable controversy and division in Hong Kong, which operates as a...
issue and the low popularity of the HKSAR Government headed by Tung Chee Hwa
Tung Chee Hwa
Tung Chee Hwa, GBM was the first Chief Executive and President of the Executive Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China....
. The party benefited from its opposition standpoint and achieved an impressive victory in the 2003 District Council elections
Hong Kong district councils election, 2003
The 2003 Hong Kong District Councils election was held on 23 November 2003. Election was held to all 18 districts of Hong Kong, for 400 members from directly elected constituencies out of total 534 council members, the second district councils election after the handover of Hong Kong in 1997...
, claiming 92 seats compared with 86 in the last election in 1999.
In 2004, the popularity of other groups and individuals in the pro-democratic camp (such as members of the Article 45 Concern Group
Article 45 Concern Group
Basic Law Article 45 Concern Group is a pro-democracy political group in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. It was established on 14 November 2003 by legal practitioners and academics...
and Albert Cheng
Albert Cheng
Albert Cheng Jing-han GBS , widely known as "Tai-pan" is a Hong Kong businessman and politician. He is the chairman of Wave Media Limited which is currently preparing to open and operate a new radio station. He was also the host of Now TV's talk show, Sunday Taipan, on the Now Hong Kong Channel...
), together with the emergence of scandals concerning two of the party's candidates in the LegCo election this year, began to wane. As a result, the Democratic Party only won 9 seats (7 in geographical constituencies and 2 in functional constituencies) overall, becoming the third largest party in LegCo behind the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong
Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong
Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong , formerly known as Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, is the largest pro-Beijing political party in Hong Kong...
(12) and the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (Hong Kong)
Liberal Party is a business-friendly liberal conservative political party in Hong Kong.-Party beliefs:The party is known for its conservative and business-friendly policies. Despite being a political party friendly with Beijing, it fits in the centre-right political spectrum...
(10). Last-minute party tactics aimed at securing votes in the Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
geographical constituency ironically led to the defeat of another democratic camp candidate, Cyd Ho
Cyd Ho
Cyd Ho Sau-lan is a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong for the Hong Kong Island constituency.Cyd Ho is a founding member of The Frontier, a pro-democracy political group, and since 2006, founding councillor of the World Future Council....
, causing further dissatisfaction among some supporters of the party and the democratic camp generally.
Since early 2005, 24 members had quit the party, including district councillor Fong Chan Bong (who was forced out by the party) and Lau Tak Cheung. Twelve district councillors also left the party. Another district councillor died in a car accident. The number of district councillors decreased by 13 to 79.
In March, 2006, the Mainstream faction alleged that some senior members were involved in spying activities of China. The "suspects" were all Young Turks members including vice-chairman Chan King Ming
Chan King Ming
Chan King-ming was the vice-chairman of the Democratic Party of Hong Kong from 2004-06. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Environmental Science Program of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.-Academics:...
and Gary Fan
Gary Fan
Gary Fan Kwok Wai is a full-time member of Sai Kung District Council in Hong Kong. He is a member of the Neo Democrats political grouping and one of its four convenors...
.
2008 to present
In November 2008, Democratic Party and the FrontierThe Frontier (Hong Kong)
The Frontier was a relatively radical pro-democracy political group in the Hong Kong. It was established on 26 August 1996. The group was headed by former convenor Emily Lau Wai-hing since its establishment as a loose group of individual pro-democracy activists.On 23 November 2008, the Frontier...
merged. At the time, the Democratic Party had 636 members, eight legislators and 57 district council members, while the Frontier had one legislator, Emily Lau
Emily Lau
Emily Lau Wai-hing JP is one of two vice-chairmen of Democratic Party.She was the convenor of The Frontier...
, three district councillors and around 110 members. The following month, Albert Ho was reelected chairman, and Lau, formerly the driving force of the Frontier, became a vice-chairman of the new combined party.
In 2010, the party achieved a historic breakthrough in the run-up to the Legco vote on the government's 2012 constitutional reform package when it reached an agreement with Beijing to allow five new functional constituency
Functional constituency
In the political systems of Hong Kong and Macau, a functional constituency is a professional or special interest group involved in the electoral process...
members of Legco to be elected by popular vote. The move divided opinion in the pan-democratic camp but ultimately allowed the bill to pass. After the agreement with Beijing, 30 members (comprising 4% of the membership) left the party as they accusing their leaders of betraying the people and slowing the pace towards universal suffrage. During the annual July 1 rally for democracy in 2010, many protesters chanted, 'Shame on you, Democratic Party, for selling out Hong Kong people'.
Electoral performance
| Election | Number of votes for Democratic Party | Share of votes | Geographical constituency seats | Functional constituency seats | Elections committee seats | Total seats |
| 1995 | 385,428 | 41.87% | 12 | 5 | 2 | 19 |
| 1998 Hong Kong legislative election, 1998 The 1998 Hong Kong legislative election for members of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong was held on 24 May 1998. The elections returned 20 members from directly elected geographical constituencies and 30 members from functional constituencies, of which 10 were uncontested.-Geographical... |
634,635 | 42.87% | 9 | 4 | 0 | 13 |
| 2000 Hong Kong legislative election, 2000 The 2000 Hong Kong legislative election for members of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong was held on 10 September 2000. The elections returned 24 members from directly elected geographical constituencies and 30 members from functional constituencies,of which 9 uncontested.-General... |
418,810 | 31.74% | 10 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| 2004 Hong Kong legislative election, 2004 The 2004 Hong Kong legislative election for members of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong was held on 12 September 2004. The elections returned 30 members from directly elected geographical constituencies and 30 members from functional constituencies, of which 11 were unopposed.-General... |
423,631 | 23.74% | 7 | 2 | − | 9 |
| 2008 Hong Kong legislative election, 2008 The 2008 Hong Kong legislative election was held on 7 September 2008 for the 4th Legislative Council since the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. There are 60 seats in the 4th Council, with 30 Members elected by geographical constituencies through direct elections, and... |
312,692 | 20.63% | 7 | 1 | − | 8 |
List of chairmen
- Martin LeeMartin LeeMartin Lee , QC, SC, JP, was the founding chairman of the Democratic Party in Hong Kong. He was a directly-elected Member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong for the Hong Kong Island geographical constituency...
(1994–2002) - Yeung SumYeung SumYeung Sum SBS JP is the second Chairman of the Democratic Party , a pro-democracy political party in Hong Kong. He is a lecturer in the University of Hong Kong. He was a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong.-Biography:...
(2002–2004) - Lee Wing TatLee Wing TatLee Wing-tat is a Member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong , returned by direct election as representative of the New Territories West constituency. He was the third Chairman of the Democratic Party...
(2004–2006) - Albert HoAlbert HoAlbert Ho Chun-yan . He is currently secretary general of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China and chairman of the Democratic Party. He is a solicitor and a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong....
(2006 – present)
See also
- LiberalismLiberalismLiberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
- Contributions to liberal theoryContributions to liberal theoryIndividual contributors to classical liberalism and political liberalism are associated with philosophers of the Enlightenment. Liberalism as a specifically named ideology begins in the late 18th century as a movement towards self-government and away from aristocracy...
- Liberalism worldwideLiberalism worldwideThis article gives information on liberalism in diverse countries around the world. It is an overview of parties that adhere more or less to the ideas of political liberalism and is therefore a list of liberal parties around the world....
- List of liberal parties
- Liberal democracyLiberal democracyLiberal democracy, also known as constitutional democracy, is a common form of representative democracy. According to the principles of liberal democracy, elections should be free and fair, and the political process should be competitive...
External links
- Democratic Party official site