1988 Hong Kong local elections explained

Election Name:1988 Hong Kong local elections
Country:Hong Kong
Flag Image:Flag of Hong Kong 1959.svg
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1985 Hong Kong local elections
Previous Year:1985
Next Election:1991 Hong Kong local elections
Next Year:1991
Seats For Election:All Elected Constituencies
264 (of the 462) seats in all 19 District Boards
Election Date:10 March 1988
Registered:1,610,998 13.34%
Turnout:424,201 (30.26%) 7.22pp
Leader1:Ding Lik-kiu
Party1:Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood
Last Election1:New party
Seats1:27
Seat Change1:13
Popular Vote1:65,338
Percentage1:10.25%
Swing1:N/A
Leader2:Albert Ho
Party2:Hong Kong Affairs Society
Last Election2:4 seats, 0.60%
Seats2:17
Seat Change2:8
Popular Vote2:36,666
Percentage2:5.75%
Swing2:5.15pp
Leader3:Hilton Cheong-Leen
Party3:Hong Kong Civic Association
Last Election3:20 seats, 5.57%
Seats3:16
Seat Change3:3
Popular Vote3:42,397
Percentage3:6.65%
Swing3:2.11pp
Leader4:Yeung Sum
Party4:Meeting Point
Last Election4:4 seats, 1.40%
Seats4:16
Seat Change4:12
Popular Vote4:41,878
Percentage4:6.57%
Swing4:5.16pp
Leader5:Brook Bernacchi
Party5:Reform Club of Hong Kong
Last Election5:17 seats, 6.36%
Seats5:2
Popular Vote5:9,570
Percentage5:1.50%
Swing5:4.86pp
Leader6:Yeung Kwong
Party6:Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions
Last Election6:Did not contest
Seats6:2
Popular Vote6:3,360
Percentage6:0.53%
Swing6:N/A
Map Size:325px

The 1988 Hong Kong District Board elections were the third district board elections held on 10 March 1988. Election was held to all 19 districts of Hong Kong (in which Yau Tsim District and Mong Kok District later merged into today's Yau Tsim Mong District), for 264 members from directly elected constituencies while there were 141 appointed seats and respectively 30 and 27 ex officio members representing the Urban Council and rural committees in New Territories.

Overview

The election oversaw the increasing influence of the political groups in the local elections. The three major emerging pro-democratic groups, which later evolved into today's pro-democracy camp, the Meeting Point, Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood and Hong Kong Affairs Society were the strategic allies against the conservative kaifong leaders in the election. The older political organisation, the Hong Kong Civic Association cooperated with Maria Tam's Progressive Hong Kong Society,[1] while the Progressive Hong Kong Society and the pro-Beijing leftist Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions remained in low-profile in the election.

Some candidates who used to be closely associated with older conservative groups were switching over to the younger liberal camps, such as Vivien Chan stood for the Reform Club of Hong Kong in 1985 and was claimed to be one of the influential members in the club had moved over to the Hong Kong Affairs Society. Tony Kan Chung-nin had also swung away from Maria Tam's conservative Progressive Hong Kong Society to the liberal Hong Kong Affairs Society.[2]

In this election, the Meeting Point had built a power base in Tuen Mun while the Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood in Sham Shui Po. The Hong Kong Affairs Society had its power base in Sha Tin while it tried to test their strength in the Eastern District, Wan Chai and Central and Western District, and tried to break the dominance of the older conservative Civic Association. The Reform Club tried to recapture a power base in the Eastern District under the umbrella of Brook Bernacchi and concentrated its resources in Yau Ma Tei under Kwan Lim-ho.[2]

The turnout rate of 30.31 per cent was recorded, 7 points lower than the last election in 1985.[3]

General outcome

|-! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" colspan=2 |Political Affiliation! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" |Popular vote! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" |%! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" |Standing! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:right;" |Elected|-| width=1px style="background-color: " || style="text-align:left;" |Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood | 65,338 || 10.25 || 32 || 27|-|style="background-color:"|| style="text-align:left;" |Hong Kong Affairs Society| 36,666 || 5.75 || 22 || 17|-| width=1px style="background-color: " || style="text-align:left;" |Hong Kong Civic Association | 42,397 || 6.65 || 31 || 16|-| width=1px style="background-color: " || style="text-align:left;" |Meeting Point | 41,878 || 6.57 || 23 || 16|-| width=1px style="background-color: " || style="text-align:left;" |Reform Club of Hong Kong| 9,570 || 1.50 || 7 || 2|-| width=1px style="background-color: " || style="text-align:left;" |Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions | 3,360 || 0.53 || 2 || 2|-|style="background-color:"|| style="text-align:left;" |Independent and others | 438,190 || 68.75 || 376 || 183|-|style="text-align:left;background-color:#E9E9E9" colspan="2"|Total (turnout 30.3%)|width="75" style="text-align:right;background-color:#E9E9E9"|637,399|width="30" style="text-align:right;background-color:#E9E9E9"|100.0|style="text-align:right;background-color:#E9E9E9"|493|style="text-align:right;background-color:#E9E9E9"|264|}

Notes and References

  1. News: Wah Kiu Yat Po. 17 January 1988. 9. 公民協會積極參與區選舉 推舉卅一人競選 與勵進會合作互相協助爭取出線 張有興陳若瑟陳子鈞未定參選否.
  2. News: Politics comes of age. Hong Kong Standard. 22 January 1988. Jane. Camen.
  3. News: 四十二萬四千多選民投票 區選投票率下降僅百分卅點三一. Wah Kiu Yat Po. 11 March 1988. 1.