Post-1997
However, under what Beijing called the 'one country, two systems' model, the move towards greater democracy has stalled. An article in Journal of Democracy argues that "Hong Kong’s political development has lagged in the face of well-documented PRC efforts to impede progress toward direct elections, universal suffrage, and other democratizing reforms that Beijing fears might loosen its control."
During the 1996 election a 400-member Selection Committee (推選委員會) voted for a Chief Executive to govern Hong Kong after 1997. Pro-democracy activists, including Emily Lau, Andrew Cheng, and Lee Cheuk-yan, insisted this threatened Hong Kong's welfare by denying the city full democracy. A "Tomb of democracy" was established outside the building shouting "oppose the phony election". The activists were dragged away by the police, and detained for four hours.
Pan-democrat groups such as the Article 45 Concern Group and the Hong Kong Government agree on the interpretation that Hong Kong Basic Law Article 45 indicates universal suffrage as the ultimate aim. However, they differ on the pace of implementing universal suffrage. The Pan-democrats, especially, have voiced concerns that small-circle elections and the undemocratic functional constituencies threaten Hong Kong's autonomy granted to them by the Basic Law.
In April 2004, DAB spokesman Lau Kwong-wah set aside without explanation the party's 2012 declared goal for universal suffrage, one day after fellow DAB Chan Kam-lam had reiterated on the campaign trail the party's plan to amend the party platform for the third time to promise full democracy in 2012. On 26 April, Beijing reneged on earlier promises to allow Hong Kong the right to determine the timetable to universal suffrage when the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) ruled out universal suffrage before 2012
Read more about this topic: Democratic Development In Hong Kong