New People's Party (Hong Kong)

New People's Party
新民黨
Chairperson Regina Ip
Deputy Chairman Michael Tien
Founded 9 January 2011 (2011-01-09)
Headquarters Flats D-F, 11/F China
Overseas Building,
139 Hennessy
Road, Wan Chai,
Hong Kong
Membership  (2015) Increase ~700[1]
Ideology Conservatism (HK)
Political position Centre-right[2]
Regional affiliation Pro-Beijing camp
Colours           Blue and red
Executive Council
1 / 33
Legislative Council
3 / 70
District Councils
26 / 458
NPC (HK deputies)
1 / 36
CPPCC (HK members)
0 / 124
Website
www.npp.org.hk
New People's Party
Traditional Chinese 新民黨
Politics and government
of Hong Kong
Foreign relations

Related topics

Hong Kong portal

The New People's Party (Chinese: 新民黨; abbreviated to NPP) is a pro-Beijing conservative political party in Hong Kong. It was established by Regina Ip on 9 January 2011 who is currently the chairperson. Since Ip has strongly indicated her interest in becoming Chief Executive of Hong Kong, it has been suggested that the party is primarily a vehicle for that goal.[3] The NPP absorbed a regional political group Civil Force and expanded its district network in 2014. After the 2016 Legislative Council election, it currently holds three seats in the Legislative Council of Hong Kong and 26 seats in the District Councils.

Party beliefs

The party positions itself with the pro-Beijing camp, counting the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), the pro-Beijing flagship party as a "partner". But Ip has said that it targets the "middle-class", rather than the "grass-roots".[3] Its electorate base also largely comes from the civil service, especially retired officials from the disciplined services, due to Ip's background. The party's stated platform includes universal suffrage, economic diversification[4] and the reduction in the wealth gap.[5]

History

The leading figure of the New People's Party is Regina Ip, who was the then Secretary for Security and the incumbent member of the Legislative Council, as well as the chair of the think tank Savantas Policy Institute. She founded the New People's Party on 9 January 2011. Michael Tien, former vice chairman of the Liberal Party and younger brother of former Liberal Party chair James Tien, is the deputy chairman. Another deputy chairman was Louis Shih.[4]

The party intended to field 10 candidates in the district council elections in November 2011.[3] Candidates will include three former senior security service officers in Tony Liu Kit-ming, the soon-to-retire chairman of the Hong Kong Police Inspectors Association; Wat Ki-on, the retired former chairman of the Fire Services Department Ambulancemen's Union; and Tsui Chi-keung, the retired former chairman of the Fire Services Department Staff's General Association.[6] It won four seats in total as a result.

Regina Ip announced her interest in running for the Chief Executive in the 2012 election, but failed to secure enough nominations to enter the race. She turned to endorse Leung Chun-ying, winner of the election. In September, Both chair Regina Ip and deputy chair Michael Tien were elected to the Legislative Council in the LegCo elections. Regina Ip was subsequently appointed by Leung Chun-ying to the Executive Council in October 2012.

The party expanded the network in the New Territories East by forming a political alliance with the Civil Force in February 2014. Civil Force leader Pun Kwok-shan was appointed Vice-Chairman of the New People's Party.[7] With 17 Civil Force District Councillors and 2 independents joined the New People's Party, the party's seat in the District Councils jumped from 12 to 31.[8]

In the 2015 District Council election, the NPP and Civil Force won 25 seats, while its seats in Tai Hang and Tai Koo Shing East in Hong Kong Island where Ip's base was were taken by pro-democrats. Civil Force's base in Sha Tin was also lost to the pro-democrats with five veterans defeated by new faces.

The NPP scored a victory in the 2016 Legislative Council election by taking three seats in the geographical constituencies and doubled their vote share from 3.76 to 7.73 per cent. Incumbents Regina Ip and Michael Tien both received large vote share in Hong Kong Island and the New Territories West respectively with new face Eunice Yung first elected in the New Territories East despite the allegation of her being backed by the Liaison Office.

Performance in elections

Legislative Council elections

Election Number of
popular votes		 % of
popular votes		 GC
seats		 FC
seats		 Total seats +/− Position
2012 68,097Steady 3.76Steady 2 0
2 / 70
 1Increase 9thIncrease
2016 167,589Increase 7.73Increase 3 0
3 / 70
 1Increase 7thIncrease

District Council elections

Election Number of
popular votes		 % of
popular votes		 Total
elected seats		 +/−
2011 15,568Steady 1.32Steady
4 / 412
 3Increase
2015 75,793Increase 5.24Increase
26 / 431
 1Decrease

References

  1. ↑ "新民黨 第五次週年會員大會 通過選出四十三位中央委員" (PDF). New People's Party. 14 April 2015.
  2. ↑ "葉 太 ： 新 民 黨 走 中 間 偏 右 路 綫". Sing Tao Daily. 17 December 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 Regina Ip hints at run for top job, South China Morning Post, 31 Jan 2011
  4. 1 2 Yan, Cathy (8 January 2011). "Hong Kong's Ip Launches Political Party". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 17 January 2011. Joining Ms Ip as deputy chairmen are former Liberal Party member Michael Tien and Louis Shih, former chairman of the pro-democracy organization SynergyNet.
  5. ↑ http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=4&art_id=106856&sid=30858941&con_type=1&d_str=20110110&fc=10 The Standard accessed 17 January 2011
  6. ↑ High-profile officers join Regina Ip's party, South China Morning Post, Phyllis Tsang, 8 Feb 2011
  7. ↑ 新民黨宣布與公民力量結成聯盟. Radio Television Hong Kong (in Chinese). 12 February 2014.
  8. ↑ 新民黨與公民力量結盟葉劉淑儀否認吞併. Metro Radio (in Chinese). 12 February 2014.
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