Essay About Hong Kong And Legislative Council

The Role of Citizen Political Participation in Hong Kong and Singapore
Essay Preview: The Role of Citizen Political Participation in Hong Kong and Singapore
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Both Hong Kong and Singapore are city states that traditionally have
lacked broad political participation, instead political decisions were left up
to a small group of leaders. Historical factors were critical in determining the
role of political participation in both city states. Hong Kongs history of
colonial rule and the strength of the Peoples Action Party (PAP) in Singapore
acted to keep broad citizen participation in government to a minimum.
Hong Kong after World War Two remained a colony of England and its
government remained under colonial rule. Unlike in other Asian nations such as
Singapore their existed no major anti-colonial movement and the Colonial
government was insulated from political pressure because many residents and
immigrants from China appreciated the commercial opportunities that Hong Kong
had to offer and were afraid that if England gave up control of Hong Kong the
small state would be over run by the newly established and expansionist
communist China to the north. During the years immediately after 1949 China was
expanding, taking over Tibet and Mongolia; Hong Kongs feeling of insecurity was
very real. The Colonial government did in subsequent years establish Hong Kongs
Legislative Council and Executive council, and the Colonial government appointed
prominent and respected local Chinese citizens to serve on these bodies. These
councils although far from democratic did ensure that the Chinese citizenry
would at least have representatives to express their pleasure or displeasure
with the colonial administration. But these representatives lacked any real
power and served only at the pleasure of the Colonial administration. The
government of Hong Kong was administered and run by the English Foreign service
officers that flocked to Hong Kong, the last vestige of English Empire. In Hong
Kong it really was the English that ruled not the Chinese public.
In Singapore following the end of World War Two a single political party
came into power in Singapore, the Peoples Action Party which was a strongly
anti-colonial left wing party was a made up of communists and more moderate
socialists. After independence Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and his allies were
able to steer the party away from communism and toward a more moderate stance.
The Peoples Action Party tolerated dissent and other political parties because
Lee Kuan Yew felt he had a solid political base. The PAP so dominated politics
that no other political party emerged in Singapore as a strong force. In the
democratically held elections in Singapore the PAP always won by large
majorities. The greatest blow came to the PAP in 1984 when the opposition won
two seats in the 79 seat legislature in Singapore. This was largely due to a
recession during the period and dissatisfaction with the governments economic
policies. The public although given the right to vote had little say in the
government of Lee Kuan Yew because it was nearly guaranteed that he would win.
Because of this in Singapore, politics disappeared and was replaced