ABSTRACT
The political configurations at the time that universal suffrage is introduced have a considerable effect on the development and salience of particular electoral cleavages. Once the electoral cleavages have emerged, the electoral market will be structured by the mobilization efforts of the concerned political groups or parties along these cleavage lines. The centre-periphery cleavage reflected the mistrust between the Chinese government, and the British-Hong Kong government and the Hong Kong people. The growing intervention of the Hong Kong government in the individual consumption process in the 1970s, resulting from the pressure of further capitalist economic development had two different consequences. First of all, most Hong Kong people improved their living standards as a result of massive government provisions of public housing, medical services and education. Second, the affected population under the government's urban redevelopment scheme, slum clearance and land resumption drive complained of their poor or unfair treatment and poor compensation from the government.
