Factionalism and Chinese-style democracy: the 2017 Hong Kong Chief Executive election

Abstract

The 2017 Chief Executive election in Hong Kong demonstrated the severity of factional politics in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, where the pro-democracy faction has been struggling for power against the pro-Beijing camp. It also showed Mainland China’s emphasis on the centralist aspect of the principle of democratic centralism in which the Hong Kong Chief Executive was elected by a relatively small group of elites, most of whom were under the influence of Beijing. The Chinese-style of democracy was reflected in the desire of Mainland officials and the pro-Beijing press to ensure the easy victory of Carrie Lam, who was the only candidate from the pro-Beijing faction. The efforts of Beijing and its agents to secure Lam’s victory pervaded the pre-nomination, nomination, campaign and election, and post-election stages of the electoral process. The process highlighted the uneasiness of China in possibly having to deal with an uncertain outcome of a limitedly pluralistic electoral experience.

Keywords:

• Hong Kong
• factionalism
• factional politics
• Chinese-style democracy
• democratic centralism
• pluralism