A new mini parliament will be elected in Hong Kong on Sunday, but it will not be a high day for democracy. All pro-democracy candidates were barred from the list.
For the first time since China reviewed the electoral process in May, elections for the Legislative Council (LegCo), the parliament, were held in Hong Kong on Sunday. Read about Hong Kong promoting Beijing – she could run for office. Electoral System Improvement Law.
All Hong Kong residents of voting age can vote from 8.30 am local time (1.30 am Belgian time) until 10:30 pm. It comes to about 4.5 million of the 7.5 million. They can elect 20 of the 90 seats. The remaining seventy will be filled by pro-China delegates. Previously there were 70 seats, 35 of which were directly elected.
• Beijing’s propaganda machine puts its pen down
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Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy party has previously decided to boycott the Legislative Council elections. No party member registered for elections before the October deadline. The revision of the electoral law has also been criticized internationally.
The voter turnout will be a measure of Hong Kong residents’ support for the new electoral system. The city’s current head of government, Carrie Lam, has repeatedly urged Hong Kong residents to vote, but at the same time said low turnout would mean nothing. “When the government does things right and its credibility is strong, voter turnout is lower because people don’t really feel the need to elect new representatives,” she said.
