HKU Conference: Strengthening Political Parties in Hong Kong, The 5th part of Constitutional Review and Democratic Development: The Way Forward. November 2004

In 2004 the National Democratic Institute (NDI) partnered with the Centre for Comparative and Public Law (CCPL) to sponsor the first of a series of events in the NDI’s Developing Political Parties program. In terms of partnerships, the NDI got access to the name, brand and reputation of HKU to ‘legitimize’ their programs, whilst Professor Johannes CHAN continued in his role of powerbroker in Hong Kong politics.

Conference poster - Page 1

Conference poster - Page 2

Conference details

Date:  27 November 2004.

Venue: Meng Wah Complex, HKU.

Organiser: Social Sciences Faculty. 

Sponsor: National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. (Christine Chung is its resident program manager in Hong Kong). 

Subject: Local and international speakers will provide a comparative view of the law of political parties in Hong Kong and elsewhere, and examine how other jurisdictions have responded to the issues that Hong Kong political parties and groups contend with. The two main themes of the conference will be:

• the lack of a facilitative legal environment (law of political parties?);

• difficulties to achieve financial independence and self-sufficiency (fundraising, accountability and monitoring?). 

See details at: http://ngohk.blogspot.hk/2004_11_01_archive.html

Chairmen:

·         Professor Johannes CHAN, Dean of Faculty of Law;

·         Dr. Peter CHEUNG, Associate Professor of Faculty of Social Sciences.

Speakers:

·         Professor Richard CULLEN, Department of Business Law and Taxation, Monash University, Australia;

·         Professor David FARRELL, Head, Government, International Politics and Philosophy, University of Manchester, United Kingdom;

·         Ms. Christine LOH CEO, Civic Exchange;

·         Dr. Kie-Duck PARK, Vice-President, The Sejong Institute, South Korea;

·         Ms. Laura THORNTON, Resident Senior Program Manager, Singapore, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs.

Commentators:

·         Mr. CHOY Chi Keung, Senior Instructor, Department of Government and Public

·         Administration, CUHK;

·         Ms. Emily LAU, Convenor, The Frontier;

·         Dr. MA Ngok, Assistant Professor, Division of Social Science, HKUST;

·         Mr. Charles MOK, President, Hong Kong Information Technology Federation;

·         Mr. Gregory SO, Member of Central and Standing Committee, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong;

·         Dr. YEUNG Sum, Chairman, Democratic Party.

Source: http://www.socsc.hku.hk/events/press/pdf/2004/Press%20invitation_20041125.pdf

Conference photographs

The following are some of the photographs taken at this conference:

Conference venue at HKU

Professor Johannes CHAN, Conference Co-chair

Professor Johannes CHAN and others.

Emily LAU

Robert CHUNG Ting-yiu of the HKU-POP

Photo credits

HKU Conferences: Strengthening Political Parties in Hong Kong. Centre for Comparative and Public Law. 27 Nov 2004. See link: HKU Conference Photos December 2004