Political reform in Hong Kong.
On June 18, the Legislative Council (LegCo) vetoed a Beijing-backed reform plan that would have instituted direct elections for the territory's highest official, the chief executive, in future elections. The reform package, heavily promoted by the local administration, ultimately received only eight 'yes' votes, a stinging rebuke for both the local and central governments. Opposition centred on a proposed nominating committee that would vet candidates before the general election. Democracy advocates saw this as a non-starter, since the committee would likely exclude candidates that were not docile towards Beijing.
The constitutional reform process will stall in the short term.
Pro-democracy advocates and legislators will face greater hostility from Beijing and the local government.
Beijing is less likely to back measures to assuage public opinion, such as curbs on visits by mainlanders.
Businesses and many residents will welcome a period of calm while the pro-democracy camp decides a long-term strategy.
LegCo will become more dysfunctional, with pan-democratic legislators likely to block unrelated measures to express frustration.
