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Summary

A telephone survey was conducted from 22 to 30 December 2009, and successfully interviewed 1,007 respondents aged 18 or above. The results of statistical analysis are weighted according to the Hong Kong population statistics in mid-2009 published by the Census and Statistics Department.

Overall, the survey finds mixed views on the Government's proposal on the 2012 constitutional reforms. On the one hand, about half of the respondents (50.8%) support the proposal, and about 40% agree it would be one step forward in Hong Kong’s democratization. On the other hand, about 55% of the respondents still find the pace of democratic progress in the proposal as too slow. Nearly 60% also do not agree it is the best that the Government could propose under current circumstances.

For such an important reform with far-reaching impacts, and with the support from only half of the respondents, the research team is afraid that the Government still lacks a very strong foundation to push forward the current proposal. Significant improvements in the reform package will have to be made in order to generate a wider base of support.

Regarding the debate on functional constituencies, the respondents again have divided positions. This is understandable because at present there is still no concrete proposal on the reform of functional constituencies for the general public to comment and discuss.

Finally, the mass resignation of Legco Councillors proposed by the pan-democratic camp does not earn majority support in the community. At this moment, only about 30% of the respondents endorse such a strategy.

(Please refer to the Chinese version for details.)

Panel on Constitutional Reforms
Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies (HKIAPS)
The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Panel Members:
Prof. Stephen W. K. CHIU, Associate Director of HKIAPS and Professor, Department of Sociology
Prof. Prof. WONG Chack-kie, Associate Director of HKIAPS and Professor, Department of Social Work
Prof. CHAN Kin-man, Department of Sociology
Prof. Wilson Wai-ho WONG, Department of Government and Public Administration
Prof. Prof. MA Ngok, Department of Government and Public Administration
Mr. CHOY Chi-keung, Department of Government and Public Administration
Mr. Laurence Wing-him HO, Honorary Research Fellow, HKIAPS