The newly constituted Hong Kong Legislative Council (LegCo) has convened, marking the official start of the next four-year term with a significant shift in its composition, according to final election results. Ninety legislators take their seats, including 50 returning members and 40 newcomers. Notably, 27 of the 90 successful candidates—nearly one-third of the entire council—hold concurrent positions as delegates to either the Mainland’s National People’s Congress (NPC) or the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). This total represents the highest number of such dual officeholders in LegCo history, underscoring Beijing’s intensifying influence under the “patriots governing Hong Kong” framework.
The 27 dual members include 15 NPC delegates and 12 CPPCC members. This marks an increase from the previous council, which held 24 such delegates, already considered a historic high at the time. The concentration of Mainland representation is particularly stark among NPC delegates; 15 of the 36 total Hong Kong NPC delegates now sit in LegCo, a proportion exceeding 41 percent.
Among the veterans retaining their seats are key figures such as Starry Lee Wai-king, the current chairwoman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) and a long-serving NPC Standing Committee member, and Chan Hak-kan, who, along with Lee and Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, has served continuously since 2008.
The shift in personnel reflects the altered landscape following the overhaul of electoral laws, which dramatically reduced directly elected seats and introduced the Election Committee Subsector ballot. Of the 40 new members entering LegCo, eight secured seats through geographical constituencies, while 16 are newcomers from functional constituencies. Among the fresh faces is Olympic fencer Vivian Kong Man-wai, who won the Tourism functional seat.
The increased presence of national delegates within LegCo signals Beijing’s expectation for closer political alignment and greater integration with Mainland policies. These individuals, already tasked with advising Mainland decision-makers on national issues, now form a substantial bloc within Hong Kong’s legislature, raising questions about policy independence and the balance of representation.
Key national delegates who successfully secured LegCo seats include Starry Lee, Priscilla Leung, Stanley Ng Chau-pei, and Lau Ip-keung. Their combined roles position them to bridge the gap between LegCo’s local legislative duties and the broader political mandate emanating from Beijing.
Analyzing the three election streams reveals how veteran politicians and national delegates maximized their success. In the revamped Election Committee Subsector, 24 legislators retained their seats alongside 16 newcomers. This subsector has proven particularly amenable to candidates with established mainland political ties. Even beyond the official NPC/CPPCC roster, some successful members hold significant national appointments, such as Horace Cheung, a returning incumbent who also serves on the Basic Law Committee.
As the new LegCo term begins, observers will closely monitor how this body, highly concentrated with members holding auxiliary national roles, shapes future legislation concerning economic policy, national security, and political reform in Hong Kong. The current composition suggests a legislature increasingly focused on ensuring compliance with national objectives.
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