In the political systems of Hong Kong and Macau, a functional constituency is a professional or special interest group involved in the electoral process. Eligible voters in a functional constituency may include natural persons as well as other designated legal entities such as organisations and corporations.
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Criticisms
Pro-democracy supporters criticise the functional constituency system for giving a minority too much power and influence. The right of corporations and legal entities to vote is also controversial, as it gives some individuals multiple votes. For example, in 1998, Sino Group chairman Robert Ng and companies he controlled held roughly 3-4% of the votes in the real estate constituency, according to an analysis by the Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor; they described this as being equivalent in voting power to 15,940 people in a geographical constituency.[1][2]
In some functional constituencies, the entire body of eligible voters comprises legal entities that are not natural persons.
Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, only 30 of the 60 Legislative Council seats are directly elected by the people (through geographical constituencies), with the other 30 elected by 28 functional constituencies. Prior to the 2004 Hong Kong LegCo election, only 24 seats were directly elected, with the other six seats chosen by an 800-member election committee.
List of functional members of the Hong Kong Legco:
- Dr Raymond Ho - Engineering
- Sir David Li - Finance
- Lam Tai Fai - Industrial (Second)
- Margaret Ng - Legal
- Cheung Man Kwong - Education
- Chan Kin Por - Insurance
- Sophie Leung - Textiles and Garment
- Dr Samson Tam - Information Technology
- Philip Wong - Commercial (Second)
- Wong Yung-kan - Agriculture and Fisheries
- Paul Tse - Tourism
- Lau Wong Fat - District Council
- Miriam Lau - Transport
- Timothy Fok - Sports, Performing Arts, Culture and Publication
- Abraham Razack - Real Estate and Construction
- Li Fung Ying - Labour
- Vincent Fang - Wholesale and Retail
- Ip Wai Ming - Labour
- Dr Joseph Lee - Health Services
- Lau Wong Fat - Heung Yee Kuk
- Jeffrey Lam - Commercial (First)
- Andrew Leung - Industrial (First)
- Dr Leung Ka Lau - Medical
- Cheung Kwok Che - Social Welfare
- Wong Ting-kwong - Import and Export
- Chim Pui Chung - Financial Services
- Patrick Lau - Architectural, Surveying and Planning
- Dr Pan Pey Chyou - Labour
- Paul Chan - Accountancy
- Tommy Cheung - Catering
Macau
- See also: Politics of Macau: Legislative Branch
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Legislative Assembly of Macau has ten functional constituency seats. They represent:
- Employers (4 seats)
- Labour (2 seats)
- Professionals (2 seats)
- Culture and sport (2 seats)
See also
- Corporativism
- Vocational Panels in Ireland
References
- ^ "Rights Group Attacks Electoral System", South China Morning Post, 1998-12-04
- ^ "Corporate Voting is Highly Corrupt", Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor, December 1998, http://www.hkhrm.org.hk/english/reports/enw/enw1298b.htm, retrieved 2009-07-14
External links
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