Hong Kong Progressive Alliance

Hong Kong Progressive Alliance
香港協進聯盟
Chairman Ambrose Lau
Founded July 1994 (1994-07)
Dissolved 16 February 2005
Merger of Liberal Democratic
Federation of Hong Kong
Merged into Democratic Alliance for
the Betterment of Hong
Kong
Ideology Conservatism[1]
Economic liberalism
Political position Centre-right
Regional affiliation Pro-Beijing camp
Colors      Red

The Hong Kong Progressive Alliance (Chinese: 香港協進聯盟, abbreviated 港進聯; HKPA) was a pro-Beijing pro-business political party in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. It was established in 1994 and was merged into the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB) in 2005.

Stances

The party was composed of mainly businessmen and professionals. The party was considered a pro-business conservative[1] and pro-Beijing one. It assured another voting block in support of Beijing's interest.[1] The basic platform of the party was to defend "One country-two systems" and the Basic Law, the mini-constitution of Hong Kong. It advocated handling political and social issues in a moderate, pragmatic and harmonious manner, and the 'progressive' development of democracy, emphasising 'stability, prosperity and progress'.

Party members maintained close relationships with Mainland China authorities. A number of them were deputies to the National People's Congress and members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference of the People's Republic of China.

History

In July 1994, solicitor Ambrose Lau founded the 52-member Hong Kong Progressive Alliance in the direction of the New China News Agency which consisted of mostly pro-business factor of the CCP's united front, the Hong Kong Chinese Reform Association, the Federation for the Stability of Hong Kong and the New Hong Kong Alliance in preparation for the 1995 Legislative Council Election.[2] Ambrose Lau became the only member won the seat in the election through the Election Committee. It merged with the Liberal Democratic Federation (LDF) in 1997, another pro-business party formed in 1990.

The party won 5 seats in the 1998 election of the Legislative Council, of which 2 were from functional constituencies and 3 were from the election commission. In the 2000 LegCo election, the party won 4 seats (excluding Choy So-yuk who had joined the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB) in the election). These included 1 seat each from geographical and function constituencies and 2 from election committee.

With the abolition of the election committee LegCo seats in 2004 election, the HKPA had an internal dispute on whether the party should send members for geographical direct elections. David Chu Yu-lin intended to run for a seat in New Territories East, and began canvassing, but suddenly decided to quit in late July. Tang Siu-tong also declined to run for re-election.

After that the party decided to let Tso Wung-wai to run for the election in New Territories East only, though there was a rumour that an independent candidate in New Territories West, Chow Ping-tim, was actually a member of HKPA. However, some outsiders think that HKPA was insincere in participating in direct elections and the dispute shows the party came to a decline. The party lost all the seats in the Legislative Council in the election.

HKPA merged with the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB) on 16 February 2005.

Members of the party in the Legislative Council

Electoral performance

Legislative Council elections

Election Number of
popular votes
% of
popular votes
GC
seats
FC
seats
EC
seats
Total seats +/− Position
1995 25,964 Steady 2.85 Steady 0 0 1
1 / 60
1 Increase 7th Steady
1998 0 2 3
5 / 60
N/A 4th Increase
2000 25,773 Decrease 1.95 Decrease 1 1 2
4 / 60
1 Decrease 4th Steady
2004 14,174 Decrease 0.80 Decrease 0 0
0 / 60
5 Decrease 0 Decrease

Municipal elections

Election Number of
popular votes
% of
popular votes
UrbCo
seats
RegCo
seats
Total
elected seats
1995 5,278 Steady 0.95 Steady
0 / 32
0 / 27
0 / 59

District Council elections

Election Number of
popular votes
% of
popular votes
Total
elected seats
+/−
1994 4,516 Steady 0.66 Steady
2 / 346
1 Increase
1999 22,886 Increase 2.82 Increase
17 / 390
2 Decrease
2003 29,091 Increase 2.77 Decrease
13 / 400
2 Decrease

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Rioni, S. G., ed. (2002). Hong Kong in Focus: Political and Economic Issues. Nova Publishers. p. 24.
  2. Loh, Christine (2010). Underground Front: The Chinese Communist Party in Hong Kong. Hong Kong University Press. p. 305.
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