Political trends observed in the 1991 Legislative Council direct election in Hong Kong

The year of 1991 would become one of the most historical years in Hong Kong\u27s political development.It was the first time for the Legislative Council to receive directly elected members.Hong Kong had enjoyed what we call elections only as a severely restricted franchise.Due to issues involving the rise of 1997 issue, the Hong Kong government changed its policy and opened the franchise to adults of 21 years and older who had lived Hong Kong more than 7 years.At the same time, the PRC government presented a new model for Chinese unification, that is, “one country, two systems”.These circumstance encouraged Hong Kong\u27s young intellectuals and professionals to actively participate in politics.Hong Kong began to undergo a transformation of its political power structure.This article aims at identifying and analyzing the political trends that have emerged in Hong Kong through the 1991 Legislative Council direct election.Voters came to participate more actively in politics.The growth in the number of registered voters clearly testifies to this.The candidates shared the similar personal attributes.They were well-educated, 31-40 years old professionals.As for their political inclinations, however, the candidates differed in their attitudes toward the Chinese government and the quality of life issue.Liberals were more conscious of the need to improve the quality of life and inclined to oppose the Chinese government than were other political forces.Considerable similarity, however, could be observed among conservatists, leftists, and the New Territories\u27 regional landlords.The people of Hong Kong showed their preference for liberals in 1991 Legislative Council direct election.In response to the liberals\u27 landslide Victory, leftists and business elites rush to establishing their strong political association.Ironically, however, liberals have not yet succeeded in making theirassociation of United Democrats of Hong Kong into a political party