Information Technology (constituency)

The Information Technology functional constituency (Chinese: 資訊科技界功能界別) was a functional constituency in the elections for the Legislative Council of Hong Kong until it was replaced by Technology and Innovation functional constituency with a much narrower electorate in the 2021 electoral overhaul.

Information Technology
資訊科技界
Former functional constituency
for the Legislative Council of Hong Kong
Country Hong Kong
Electorate13,000 (2020)[1]
Former constituency
Created1998
Abolished2021
Number of membersOne
Replaced byTechnology and Innovation

Since its creation in 1998, it has been normally held by the pro-democracy camp, with the interruption from 2008 to 2012, where the seat was held by pro-Beijing Samson Tam who defeated pro-democracy candidate Charles Mok by 35 votes with the help of the Internet Professional Association (iProA), a pro-Beijing IT association. In 2012, Mok retook the seat for the pro-democrats from the pro-Beijing camp by defeating Tam. Mok resigned effective 1 December 2020 as part of the 2020 LegCo mass resignations in protest of the disqualification of four pro-democracy legislators.

Composition

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The Information Technology constituency was composed of individuals who are members of relevant associations such as the Hong Kong Computer Society, and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and corporate members of organisations such as the Hong Kong Information Technology Federation, Hong Kong Wireless Technology Industry and Society of Hong Kong External Telecommunications Services Providers who are entitled to vote at general meetings, as well as some other corporations with certain licences granted by the Telecommunication Authority.[2]

Since 1998, there have been a number of additional associations included in the electorate. In 2006, there were four organisations where individual members were qualified as electorates although they were not allowed to vote in the general meetings, such as the Professional Information Security Association and the Hong Kong and Mainland Software Industry Corporation Association.[2] Since 2003, members of the pro-Beijing Internet Professional Association (iProA) are also eligible to vote in the constituency, which helped its pro-Beijing member Samson Tam to take the seat from pro-democrats' hand in the 2008 Legislative Council election.

In 2006, there were 4,743 individuals (94.9% of the electorate) and 261 registered corporations (4.1% of the electorate).[2] In 2016, it saw an 80% surge in the number of registered voters, from 6,716 in 2012 to 12,046 in 2016, according to provisional voter statistics released by the Registration and Electoral Office. Incumbent legislator Charles Mok questioned whether pro-Beijing forces were getting people to sign up.[3]

In April 2017, the Independent Commission Against Corruption arrested 72 people over alleged vote-rigging, 68 of them were newly registered electors and four were middlemen, three of whom were registered voters. A source identified them as the members of the Internet Professional Association (iProA) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Hong Kong section, computer chapter.[4]

Returned members

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Election Member Party Votes %
1998 Sin Chung-kai Democratic 1,543 63.71
2000 1,770 73.69
2004 1,946 52.59
2008 Samson Tam Wai-ho Independent 2,017 50.44
2012 Charles Peter Mok Professional Commons 2,828 57.82
2016 6,253 64.61

Electoral results

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2010s

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[5]
2016 Hong Kong legislative election: Information Technology
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Prof Commons Charles Peter Mok 6,253 64.61 +6.79
Nonpartisan Eric Yeung Chuen-sing 3,425 35.39
Majority 2,828 29.22
Total valid votes 9,678 100.00
Rejected ballots 205
Turnout 9,883 81.74 +5.55
Registered electors 12,091
Prof Commons hold Swing
[6]
2012 Hong Kong legislative election: Information Technology
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Charles Peter Mok 2,828 57.82 +8.26
Independent Tam Wai-ho 2,063 42.18 −8.26
Majority 765 15.64
Total valid votes 4,891 100.00
Rejected ballots 204
Turnout 5,095 76.19
Registered electors 6,687
Independent gain from Nonpartisan Swing

2000s

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[7]
2008 Hong Kong legislative election: Information Technology
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Tam Wai-ho 2,017 50.44 +7.79
Nonpartisan Charles Peter Mok 1,982 49.56
Majority 35 0.88
Total valid votes 3,999 100.00
Rejected ballots 138
Turnout 4,137 71.96
Registered electors 5,749
Independent gain from Nonpartisan Swing
[8]
2004 Hong Kong legislative election: Information Technology
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Sin Chung-kai 1,946 52.59 −21.20
Nonpartisan Tam Wai-ho 1,578 42.65
Independent Leung Mun-yee 176 4.76
Majority 368 9.94
Total valid votes 3,700 100.00
Rejected ballots 52
Turnout 3,752 82.08
Registered electors 4,571
Democratic hold Swing
[9]
2000 Hong Kong legislative election: Information Technology
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Sin Chung-kai 1,770 73.69 +9.98
Nonpartisan (New Forum) Kan Wing-kei 632 26.31
Majority 1,138 47.38
Total valid votes 2,402 100.00
Rejected ballots 78
Turnout 2,480 64.80
Registered electors 3,827
Democratic hold Swing

1990s

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1998 Hong Kong legislative election: Information Technology
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Sin Chung-kai 1,543 63.71
Nonpartisan Yung Kai-ling 456 18.83
Nonpartisan Chan Kei-foo 423 17.46
Majority 1,087 44.88
Total valid votes 2,422 100.00
Rejected ballots 72
Turnout 2,494 80.19
Registered electors 3,110
Democratic win (new seat)

References

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  1. ^ "Voter Registration Statistics : Functional Constituency". Voter Registration.
  2. ^ a b c Young, Simon N.M.; Cullen, Richard (2010). Electing Hong Kong's Chief Executivei. Hong Kong University Press. p. 121.
  3. ^ Ng, Kang-chung; Cheung, Tony (1 June 2015). "Hong Kong lawmaker fears Beijing behind jump in voters in IT functional constituency". South China Morning Post.
  4. ^ "Hong Kong anti-graft body arrests 72 people over alleged IT sector vote-rigging". South China Morning Post. 3 April 2017.
  5. ^ "Election Result". Electoral Affairs Commission.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "Election Result". Electoral Affairs Commission.
  7. ^ "2008 Legislative Council Election". Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  8. ^ "2004 Legislative Council Election - Election Results". Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  9. ^ "Legislative Council Elections Results". Archived from the original on 29 August 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.