1988 Hong Kong local elections

The 1988 Hong Kong District Board elections were the third district board elections held on 10 March 1988. Election was held to all 19 districts of Hong Kong (in which Yau Tsim District and Mong Kok District later merged into today's Yau Tsim Mong District), for 264 members from directly elected constituencies while there were 141 appointed seats and respectively 30 and 27 ex officio members representing the Urban Council and rural committees in New Territories.

1988 Hong Kong local elections

← 1985 10 March 1988 1991 →
All Elected Constituencies 264 (of the 462) seats in all 19 District Boards
Registered	1,610,998 13.34%
Turnout	424,201 (30.26%) 7.22pp
First party Second party Third party   Leader Ding Lik-kiu Albert Ho Hilton Cheong-Leen Party ADPL HKAS Civic Last election New party 4 seats, 0.60% 20 seats, 5.57% Seats won 27 17 16 Seat change 13 8 3 Popular vote 65,338 36,666 42,397 Percentage 10.25% 5.75% 6.65% Swing N/A 5.15pp 2.11pp   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Yeung Sum Brook Bernacchi Yeung Kwong Party Meeting Point Reform FTU Last election 4 seats, 1.40% 17 seats, 6.36% Did not contest Seats won 16 2 2 Seat change 12 Popular vote 41,878 9,570 3,360 Percentage 6.57% 1.50% 0.53% Swing 5.16pp 4.86pp N/A

Overview

The election oversaw the increasing influence of the political groups in the local elections. The three major emerging pro-democratic groups, which later evolved into today's pro-democracy camp, the Meeting Point, Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood and Hong Kong Affairs Society were the strategic allies against the conservative kaifong leaders in the election. The older political organisation, the Hong Kong Civic Association cooperated with Maria Tam's Progressive Hong Kong Society,^[1] while the Progressive Hong Kong Society and the pro-Beijing leftist Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions remained in low-profile in the election.

Some candidates who used to be closely associated with older conservative groups were switching over to the younger liberal camps, such as Vivien Chan stood for the Reform Club of Hong Kong in 1985 and was claimed to be one of the influential members in the club had moved over to the Hong Kong Affairs Society. Tony Kan Chung-nin had also swung away from Maria Tam's conservative Progressive Hong Kong Society to the liberal Hong Kong Affairs Society.^[2]

In this election, the Meeting Point had built a power base in Tuen Mun while the Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood in Sham Shui Po. The Hong Kong Affairs Society had its power base in Sha Tin while it tried to test their strength in the Eastern District, Wan Chai and Central and Western District, and tried to break the dominance of the older conservative Civic Association. The Reform Club tried to recapture a power base in the Eastern District under the umbrella of Brook Bernacchi and concentrated its resources in Yau Ma Tei under Kwan Lim-ho.^[2]

The turnout rate of 30.31 per cent was recorded, 7 points lower than the last election in 1985.^[3]

General outcome

Overall Summary of the 10 March 1988 District Boards of Hong Kong election results

Political Affiliation		Popular vote	%	Standing	Elected
	Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood	65,338	10.25	32	27
	Hong Kong Affairs Society	36,666	5.75	22	17
	Hong Kong Civic Association	42,397	6.65	31	16
	Meeting Point	41,878	6.57	23	16
	Reform Club of Hong Kong	9,570	1.50	7	2
	Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions	3,360	0.53	2	2
	Independent and others	438,190	68.75	376	183
Total (turnout 30.3%)		637,399	100.0	493	264

References

1. "公民協會積極參與區選舉 推舉卅一人競選 與勵進會合作互相協助爭取出線 張有興陳若瑟陳子鈞未定參選否". Wah Kiu Yat Po. 17 January 1988. p. 9.
2. Camen, Jane (22 January 1988). "Politics comes of age". Hong Kong Standard.
3. "四十二萬四千多選民投票 區選投票率下降僅百分卅點三一". Wah Kiu Yat Po. 11 March 1988. p. 1.