At stake in this election:

• 60 seats in the Legislative Council (LEGCO)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President of China JIANG Zemin *
• Head of Government: Chief Executive TUNG Chee-hwa
• Assembly: Hong Kong has a unicameral Legislative Council (LEGCO) with 60 seats.

* The President of China is elected by indirect vote by an 800-member election committee to serve a 5-year term.

Description of electoral system:

• The President of China is elected by indirect vote to serve a 5-year term.
• In the Legislative Council (LEGCO), 30 members are elected by indirect vote to serve 4-year terms and 30 members are elected by popular vote to serve 4-year terms.***

*** 30 members are elected by indirect vote by functional constituencies and 30 members are elected by direct popular vote, all to serve 4-year terms.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Democratic Party
  • Leader: Martin LEE Chu-ming
  • Seats won in this election: 9
  • Seats won in last election: 19
• Party: Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong
  • Leader: Jasper TSANG Yok-sing
  • Seats won in this election: 5
  • Seats won in last election: 6
• Party: Hong Kong Progressive Alliance
  • Leader: Ambrose Lau Hon-chuen
  • Seats won in this election: 5
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Frontier Group
  • Leader: Emily LAU
  • Seats won in this election: 4
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Independents
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 37
  • Seats won in last election: N/A

Last Legislative election:

• Legislative Council elections were last held on September 17, 1995.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 6,543,700 (1998)
• Registered Voters: 2,800,000 ( approx.)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 3,324,248 (1998)

·         Is Hong Kong a signatory to CEDAW: N/A

·         Has Hong Kong ratified CEDAW: N/A

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 7 (following the 1998 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 12 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is Hong Kong a signatory to CRPD: N/A

·         Has Hong Kong ratified CRPD: N/A

·         Population with a disability: 981,555 (est.)