🔗 Share this article What is the Legislative Council in Hong Kong: A Quick Overview. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's Legislative Council operates as a regional legislature with the mandate to pass and change laws for the region. However, electoral processes for this council have experienced a significant decline in substantive competing voices during a period of sweeping political transformations in the last decade. Following the 1997 handover, a model of "one country, two systems" was established, vowing that Hong Kong would retain a degree of independence. In the years since, critics contend that democratic rights have been steadily diminished. Key Milestones and Changes Back in 2014, legislation was tabled that aimed to allow residents to elect the head of government. Notably, the selection was limited to candidates pre-approved by the mainland government. In 2019 experienced extensive unrest, culminating in an event where residents accessed the government building to voice opposition against a proposed legal amendment. The Consequence of the NSL Implemented in 2020, the National Security Law provided new legal tools to central authorities over Hong Kong's internal matters. Conduct such as collusion were outlawed. Following this law, all significant political group dissolved. Today's Electoral Framework The council polls are considered Hong Kong's key electoral exercise. Nevertheless, laws established in the past few years now stipulate that only hopefuls deemed "patriots" are eligible to contest seats. Distribution of Seats: At present, only 20 out of 90 seats are directly elected. Remaining Seats: The rest are chosen by a government-aligned body. New Rules: Recent proposed rules would require legislators to "sincerely support" the mainland's oversight. Public Response Given most forms of protest now criminalized, voter abstention has been seen as one of the few safe ways for residents to show disapproval. As a result historically low electoral engagement in the latest LegCo contests.