2019 Hong Kong Rural Representative election was held in January 2019 to elect 1,540 Rural Representatives in the New Territories of Hong Kong. This is the first time pro-democracy camp formed electoral alliance to run in the rural election, despite co-initiator Eddie Chu was disqualified and the alliance failed to gain any seats.

Electoral system + Breakdown of Number of Rural Areas and Rural Representatives By District District No. of ExistingVillage No. of ResidentRepresentatives No. ofIndigenousVillages &CompositeIndigenousVillages No. of IndigenousInhabitantsRepresentatives No. of MarketTowns No. of KaifongRepresentatives Total no. ofRuralRepresentatives Islands 80 80 66 71 2 56 207 Kwai Tsing 10 10 9 18 - - 28 North 117 117 97 132 - - 249 Sai Kung 91 91 77 89 - - 180 Sha Tin 48 48 46 55 - - 103 Tai Po 122 122 125 151 - - 273 Tsuen Wan 37 37 38 69 - - 106 Tuen Mun 35 35 24 33 - - 68 Yuen Long 155 155 121 171 - - 326 Total 695 695 603 789 2 56 1,540

A total of 1,540 seats were open for election. Each Existing Village elects one Resident Representatives, while Indigenous Village & Composite Indigenous Village elects one to five Indigenous Inhabitants Representatives. The Market Towns of Cheung Chau and Peng Chau elect 39 and 17 Kaifong Representatives respectively.

Detailed breakdown as follows: 589 Existing Villages (including 574 Indigenous Villages and 15 Composite Indigenous Villages) elect both Indigenous Inhabitants Representatives and Resident Representatives 106 Existing Villages elect only Resident Representatives 14 Indigenous Villages elect only Indigenous Inhabitants Representatives 2 Market Towns elect only Kaifong Representatives

Pre-election events The nomination period of the election opened on 9 November and closed on 22 November 2018.

Eddie Chu, member of the Legislative Council, and Paul Zimmerman, Southern District Councillor, initiated the Village Charter movement on 7 November 2018 under the slogan "Let's make our village clean and green", calling for the reform of rural representation system and the democratization of Rural Committees, which elected Rural Representatives will serve in. This marked the first time pro-democracy camp coordinated in the rural election.

Disqualification Eddie Chu became the first candidate barred from running in the rural election because of their political stance. He was disqualified from running in the election after electoral officials questioned his stance on Hong Kong independence and self-determination and invalidated his nomination for “implicitly” maintaining support for self-determination. Chu branded the decision "ridiculous" for "disqualifying an incumbent legislator from running for the post of a village chief". The village election process was temporarily put on hold as government considered Chu's candidacy.

Chu later filed an election petition to the High Court over the disqualification, but withdrew in January 2020 after taking into account the outcome of the election petition by Agnes Chow, which ruled Returning Officer can disqualify candidates.

Voting The election took place on three consecutive Sundays in January 2019.

Only 436 seats were open for contest with a total of 836 candidates, as 105 villages received no valid nomination and hence no elections were held, while nearly a thousand candidates were uncontested, including the Market Town of Peng Chau.

Date District Rural Committee6 January 2019 Islands Lamma Island (North); Lamma Island (South); Mui Wo; South Lantao North Sha Tau Kok District, Ta Kwu Ling District Sai Kung Hang Hau Sha Tin Sha Tin Tai Po District Tai Po Yuen Long Kam Tin, Ping Shan, San Tin 13 January 2019 Islands Tai O, Tung Chung Kwai Tsing/Tsuen Wan Tsuen Wan, Ma Wan North Fanling District, Sheung Shui District Sai Kung Sai Kung Tai Po Sai Kung North Tuen Mun Tuen Mun Yuen Long Ha Tseun, Pat Heung, Shap Pat Heung 20 January 2019 Islands Cheung Chau

Result Turnout of the election is as follows: Election Registered Turnout Resident Representative 33,497 21,239 63.67% Indigenous Inhabitant Representative 51,955 31,282 60.21% Kaifong Representative 7,104 3,553 50.01% Total 92,556 56,074 60.58%

Pro-democracy camp For candidates of the pro-democracy Village Charter, none successfully won a seat. William Ho did not gather enough nominations and was not enlisted as a candidate. In Pan Long Wan, Paul Zimmerman was defeated overwhelmingly by 12–110 after admitting no hope to win the election, similar for Carol Ho of Pak Kong by 23–110. Herve Bouvresses, running for re-election, and David Newbery lost by 10–16 and 10–14 respectively.

+ Signatories of Village Charter Name Political affiliation Constituency Rural Committee Result Eddie Chu Yuen Kong San Tseun (Resident) Pat Heung Paul Zimmerman Pan Long Wan (Resident) Hang Hau Carol Ho Kit-yee Pak Kong (Resident) Sai Kung William Ho Wai-lim Sheung Shui Heung (Indigenous Inhabitant) Sheung Shui David Newbery Hoi Ha (Resident) Sai Kung North Herve Bouvresse Long Keng (Resident) Sai Kung

Stanley Ho Wai-hong from the Labour Party, who advocated ending indigenous rights of housing, was defeated by conservative in Ko Tong of Sai Kung. Sum Shui-ying of Democratic Party was declared elected as the sole candidate of Wa Mei Shan in Fanling, who promised to bring voices of democracy into the Rural Committee.

Half a year after the election defeat amidst the pro-democracy protest movement, Carol Ho received threats accusing her of supporting Hong Kong independence and hampering the peace of the village.

Cheung Chau With 65 candidates vying for 39 seats, Cheung Chau is one of the closely watched races. Voter shall cast ballot for 39 candidates under block voting system.

Reformist Cheung Chau Synergy, led by pro-business Cheung Chau South District Councillor Kwong Koon-wan, and conservative Cheung Chau Community Alliance, by pro-Beijing Cheung Chau North District Councillor Lee Kwai-chun, fielded 33 and 32 candidates respectively. As the two Cheung Chau constituencies in the District Council would merge into one in 2019 local election, the poll became increasingly competitive.

Community Alliance eventually took up 25 seats, while Synergy only won 14 but made a net gain of 8 seats compared to the last election. Perceived to be risky after losing support, the conservatives retained their majority and the control of Cheung Chau Rural Committee.

Ping Yeung In September 2018, Chan Kam-wah of Ping Yeung in Ta Kwu Ling declared breaking off parental relationship with his son, North District Councillor Frank Chan Shung-fai. Senior Chan slammed "unfilial" Frank Chan in the statement on newspaper, while Frank Chan said it was an attempt by his father to pressurize his ex-wife to turn over her possessions over a financial dispute with the new wife.

The election for Ping Yeung Indigenous Inhabitants Representatives saw eight candidates running for four seats. The four on Frank Chan's team were defeated, while Chan Kam-wah was re-elected with the highest number of votes amongst all. Despite so, Frank Chan's sister Chan Yuet-ming was elected as Resident Representative by one vote. Chan Kam-wah eventually abandoned his re-election bid as chairman of Ta Kwu Leng Rural Committee, and gave way to his daughter Chan Yuet-ming to become the first Rural Committee chairwoman in Hong Kong's history.

Rural Committee chairman Chairman of all 27 Rural Committees were elected by April 2019, who would serve as ex-officio members of respective District Councils and as members of the Heung Yee Kuk.

District Rural Committee Chairman RemarksIslandsCheung ChauYung Chi-mingRe-electedLamma Island (North)Chan Lin-waiLamma Island (South)Chow Yuk-tongMui WoWong Man-honPeng ChauKen Wong Hon-kuenSouth LantaoHo Chun-faiTai OHo Siu-keiTung ChungWong Chau-pingFirst chairwomanNorthFanling DistrictLi Kwok-fungRe-electedSha Tau Kok DistrictLee Koon-hungSheung Shui DistrictHau Chi-keungTa Kwu Ling DistrictChan Yuet-mingFirst chairwomanSai KungHang HauLau Kai-hongSai KungWong Shui-sangRe-electedSha TinSha TinMok Kam-kwaiRe-electedTai PoSai Kung NorthLi Yiu-banRe-electedTai PoLam Yick-kuenKwai Tsing/ Tsuen WanTsing YiChan Chi-wongMa WanChan Sung-ipRe-electedTsuen WanYau Kam-pingTuen MunTuen MunKenneth Lau Ip-keungRe-electedYuen LongHa TsuenTang Lai-tungRe-electedKam TinTang Ho-ninPat HeungTang Sui-manPing ShanTang Che-keungSan TinJimmy Man Mei-kwaiDied in officeShap Pat HeungChing Chan-ming

References