Hong Kong’s two major pro-democracy parties are looking at how to best adapt to the conditions created by the sweeping electoral reforms imposed by mainland China that will effectively obliterate the presence of opposition in the political establishment.

The Democratic Party is setting up a dedicated committee on the mainland and constitutional affairs intended to “minimize mistakes and understand the big picture,” according to vice chairperson Edith Leung. Meanwhile, the Civic Party is holding a retreat to explore how it should move forward in the newly limited space.

The National People’s Congress — China’s rubber-stamp parliament — unanimously passed a decision to overhaul the electoral system in the formerly semi-autonomous city earlier this month to implement its principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong.” Under the controversial proposal, a vetting committee will be established to screen the eligibility of candidates to compete in polls for the chief executive, legislature and to serve on the Election Committee.

The new mainland committee of the Democratic Party will help the younger members to understand better the thinking and logic of the Chinese Communist Party, as well as mainland official documents. Party elders who have experience dealing with the CCP and reporters who have covered China would also be invited to share their expertise, Leung said.

At its retreat, the Civic Party will discuss whether members should stand in future elections and if so, how its lawmakers should engage in parliament. Sources said that the party may not follow the Democrats in trying to understand the CCP.

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