2003 Hong Kong local elections

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.

2003 Hong Kong local elections

23 November 2003

All Elected Constituencies
400 (of the 529) seats in all 18 Districts Councils
Registered2,973,612 Increase4.98%
Turnout1,066,373 (44.10%) Increase8.28pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Yeung Sum Tsang Yok-sing Frederick Fung
Party Democratic DAB ADPL
Alliance Pro-democracy Pro-Beijing Pro-democracy
Last election 86 seats, 24.85% 81 seats, 23.53% 19 seats, 4.70%
Seats won 95 62 25
Seat change Increase17 Decrease21 Increase4
Popular vote 223,675 241,202 53,264
Percentage 21.27% 22.94% 5.07%
Swing Decrease3.57pp Decrease0.59pp Increase0.36pp

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Lau Kong-wah James Tien Ambrose Lau
Party Civil Force Liberal HKPA
Alliance Pro-Beijing Pro-Beijing Pro-Beijing
Last election 11 seats, 2.42% 15 seats, 3.42% 16 seats, 2.65%
Seats won 17 14 13
Seat change Increase3 Increase1 Decrease5
Popular vote 25,720 29,108 29,091
Percentage 2.45% 2.77% 2.77%
Swing Increase0.02pp Decrease0.65pp Decrease0.12pp

  Seventh party Eighth party Ninth party
 
Leader Emily Lau Leung Yiu-chung Johnny Mak
Party Frontier NWSC Democratic Alliance
Alliance Pro-democracy Pro-democracy Pro-democracy
Last election 4 seats, 1.16% 2 seats, 0.41% New party
Seats won 6 4 4
Seat change Increase1 Increase1 Increase2
Popular vote 25,349 14,146 8,418
Percentage 2.41% 1.35% 0.80%
Swing Increase1.25pp Increase0.94pp N/A

Map of the winning party by constituency

The election was historically significant as it was the first election came after the controversies over the legislation of the Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23 and the large-scale July 1 protests in mid-2003 against the unpopular Tung Chee-hwa administration. The election saw the devastating defeat of the pro-government pro-Beijing camp.

The pro-Beijing flagship party Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB) received the largest defeat in the elections, only 62 of the 206 of its candidates were elected. The party's heavyweights, Yeung Yiu-chung, Lau Kong-wah and Ip Kwok-him all lost their seats to the pro-democracy challengers, with Ip lost his longtime base of Kwun Lung to Cyd Ho of The Frontier. Choy So-yuk also faced challenge from Leung Kwok-hung of April Fifth Action, only retained her seat with narrow margin. DAB chairman Tsang Yok-sing resigned for the party's defeat after the election, and subsequently was replaced by Ma Lik. The pro-democracy camp received overall success, with Democratic Party winning the most of 95 seats.

After the election, Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa appointed 102 pro-government members to the District Councils to dilute the influence of the pro-democrats and retained control of some of the councils.

Overview

Before the elections were held, media had speculated the effect of the controversy over the legislation of the Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23 to the pro-Beijing camp. With the surge of popularity after the 2003 July 1 protests, the pro-democrats managed to present a united platform in the District Council election. More than two hundred candidates form all pro-democracy parties and groups supported the direct election of the Chief Executive by 2007; direct elections of all seats of the Legislative Council by 2008; the initiation of public consultations on political reforms by the government before the end of 2003; and the abolition of all appointed seats to the District Councils after the November 2003 elections.[1]

The pro-democrat candidates challenged the heavyweights of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB), the flagship pro-government party in many constituencies, including the party vice-chairman Ip Kwok-him's Kwun Lung, Choy So-yuk's Kam Ping, Yeung Yiu-chung's Mei Foo South and Lau Kong-wah's Kam To.[2] Lau Kong-wah stood in Kam To, challenging Democratic Party's Shirley Ho Suk-ping. As Lau was the Legislative Councillor for New Territories East, pro-democrats saw Kam To as a crucial target. Icons like Audrey Eu, Alan Leong and Cheung Man-kwong took turns campaigning for Shirley Ho. Standing in the traditional Hokkien community Kam Ping, Choy so-yuk faced the challenged from Leung Kwok-hung of the April Fifth Action, while The Frontier's Cyd Ho stood in Kwun Lung against Ip Kwok-him. Both Ho and Ip were members of the Legislative Council, while Ip chaired the Legco committee on the national security bill. Ho was supported by Article 45 Concern Group's Ronny Tong and Ip was supported by the DAB chairman Tsang Yok-sing.[2]

An unprecedented record of 44 percent, in total of 1.06 millions voters cast their vote in the election. In result, Yeung Yiu-chung, Lau Kong-wah and Ip Kwok-him were all defeated by the pro-democrats while Choy So-yuk retained her seat with narrow margin. The pro-democracy flagship party Democratic Party became the clear winner by winning the most number of 95 seats. Cyd Ho's Civic Act-up which was established after the July 1 protest also captured three seats in the Wan Chai District Council and was able to control the council for the first time with the other independent councillors. Only 62 of the 206 DAB candidates were elected, which became the worst defeat in DAB's history. Tsang Yok-sing took responsibility for the electoral setback and resigned his chairman post. He claimed that the defeat was due to the DAB's unfortunate "Tung loyalist" public image.[2]

Results

General outcome

Summary of the 23 November 2003 District Councils of Hong Kong election results
Political Affiliation Popular vote % Standing Elected ±
Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong 241,20222.94Decrease0.5920062Decrease21
Civil Force 25,7202.45Increase0.022217Increase3
Liberal Party 29,1082.77Decrease0.652714Increase1
Hong Kong Progressive Alliance 29,0912.77Decrease0.052313Decrease5
Wan Chai Community Union 1,1890.11-11-
Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions 2,7660.26Increase0.1330-
New Youth Forum 1,3140.12-20-
New Century Forum 8330.08-10-
Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions ---11-
Independent and others 156,82714.92-13692Decrease6
Total for pro-Beijing camp 489,889 46.48Decrease0.97417201Decrease28
Democratic Party 223,67521.27Decrease3.5712095Increase17
Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood 53,2645.07Increase0.363725Increase4
Frontier 25,3492.41Increase1.25146Increase1
Neighbourhood and Worker's Service Centre 14,1461.35Increase0.9454Increase1
Yuen Long Tin Shui Wai Democratic Alliance 8,4180.80-64Increase2
Civic Act-up 5,1700.49-53Increase3
Central and Western Democratic Power 5,7480.55-42-
Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions 4,0320.38-32Increase2
Yuen Long Democratic Alliance 1,4890.14-11-
7.1 People Pile 2,8880.27-30-
April Fifth Action 1,1490.11-10-
Citizens Party 3610.03Decrease0.2210Decrease1
Independent democrats 130,45312.41-8756Increase8
Total for pro-democracy camp 477,596 45.54Increase10.29288198Increase38
Independent and others 83,9397.98-1321-
Total (turnout 44.10%) 1,051,424 100.0 - 837 400 Increase10

Results by district

Council Previous
control
Previous
party
Post-election
control
Largest
party
DPDABADPLCFLibPATF/CAOthersPro-demPro-BeijingAppointed
& ex officio
CompositionDetails
Central & Western Pro-Beijing Democratic Pro-Beijing Democratic 6 1 2 2 4 9 6 4




Details
Wan Chai Pro-Beijing DAB NOC CAU 2 1 3 5 7 4 3




Details
Eastern Pro-Beijing DAB Pro-Beijing DAB 6 12 1 1 17 12 24 9



Details
Southern Pro-Beijing Democratic Pro-Beijing Democratic 2 1 2 12 2 15 4




Details
Yau Tsim Mong Pro-Beijing Democratic Pro-Beijing Democratic 4 2 3 7 9 7 4




Details
Sham Shui Po Pro-democracy ADPL Pro-democracy ADPL 2 1 13 5 17 4 5




Details
Kowloon City Pro-Beijing PA Pro-Beijing Democratic 7 2 3 3 1 6 12 10 5




Details
Wong Tai Sin Pro-Beijing DAB Pro-Beijing DAB 4 5 2 1 2 11 13 12 6




Details
Kwun Tong Pro-Beijing Democratic Pro-Beijing Democratic 9 4 1 20 20 14 8




Details
Tsuen Wan Pro-Beijing Democratic Pro-Beijing Democratic 5 1 1 1 9 11 6 5+2




Details
Tuen Mun Pro-Beijing Democratic Pro-Beijing DAB 9 9 4 1 6 14 15 7+1




Details
Yuen Long Pro-Beijing DAB Pro-Beijing DAB 2 4 1 1 21 7 22 7+6




Details
North Pro-Beijing Democratic Pro-Beijing Democratic 8 5 3 10 6 5+4




Details
Tai Po Pro-Beijing Democratic Pro-Beijing Democratic 7 3 2 1 6 9 10 5+2




Details
Sai Kung Pro-Beijing DAB Pro-Beijing DAB 4 4 3 4 5 8 12 5+2




Details
Sha Tin Pro-Beijing Civil Force Pro-Beijing Civil Force 7 2 14 1 1 2 9 14 22 9+1




Details
Kwai Tsing Pro-democracy Democratic Pro-democracy Democratic 11 1 1 1 14 23 5 7+1




Details
Islands Pro-Beijing DAB Pro-Beijing DAB 4 4 1 7 4+8




Details
TOTAL 95 62 25 17 14 13 10 164 196 202 129



Vote summary

Votes, of total, by camp

  Pro-Beijing (46.48%)
  Pro-democrats (45.54%)
  Other (7.98%)

Seats, of total, by camp

  Pro-Beijing (50.25%)
  Pro-democrats (49.50%)
  Other (0.25%)
Popular vote
DAB
22.94%
Democratic
21.27%
ADPL
5.07%
Liberal
2.77%
PA
2.77%
Civil Force
2.45%
Frontier
2.41%
NWSC
1.35%
Others
40.31%

Seat summary

Seats
Democratic
23.75%
DAB
15.50%
ADPL
6.25%
Civil Force
4.25%
Liberal
3.50%
PA
3.25%
Frontier
1.75%
NWSC
1.00%
Others
40.75%

Aftermath

In December 2003 after the elections, Tung appointed 21 political party appointees to the District Councils to dilute the influence of the pro-democrats as follows:[3]

  • 8 members of the Liberal Party
  • 6 members of the DAB
  • 6 members from the Progressive Alliance
  • 1 from the New Century Forum

Professor of politics and sociology at Lingnan University, Dr. Li Pang-kwong said "As in the past, most of the appointees were pro-government or persons without a clear political stance... ensur[ing] that no district council is in the hands of the democrats."[4]

A spokesman for the democrats said the appointees "will have an unfair advantage in that they are getting financial support from the government which will help them run for office in future elections."[4]

References

  1. Cheng, Joseph Y. S. (2007). The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Its First Decade. City University of HK Press. pp. 42–3.
  2. "【蘋話當年】2003年民建聯區選大敗 曾鈺成辭任主席". Apple Daily. 24 November 2014.
  3. Frank Ching, "Tsang grooms his kind of political talent", Pg A12, South China Morning Post, 24 June 2008
  4. Michael Ng, Tung picks 'dilute' bodies Archived 2011-05-22 at the Wayback Machine, The Standard, 29 December 2003
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