Hong Kong sees record low voter turnout in first 'patriots only' election

Published:Dec 7, 202310:55
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According to a authorities information launch, provisional turnout was 30.2% by shut of polls -- far decrease than the earlier record low of 43.6%, in 2000. The final legislative election 5 years in the past noticed a 58% turnout.In an try to spice up the vote, town provided free public transport all day -- however reasonably than going to the polls, many Hong Kongers as an alternative appeared to take the free trains and buses to mountain climbing trails and campsites.The outcomes, introduced Monday morning, noticed pro-establishment candidates declare all 20 seats in the obtainable geographic constituencies. None of town's main pro-democracy events fielded any candidates.Carrie Lam, town's chief, thanked voters late Sunday night time, saying it was "an important election following the improvements to the electoral system to implement the principle of 'patriots administering Hong Kong."
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The vote comes two years after pro-democracy, anti-government protests rocked Hong Kong for months, and greater than a 12 months after the introduction of a nationwide safety legislation, which bans secession, subversion, and collusion with overseas forces -- occasions which have utterly remodeled town's social and political panorama.
It's additionally town's first Legislative Council election since stringent new electoral reforms have been handed in March. The adjustments gave the federal government larger vetting powers, dramatically lessening the general public's potential to vote instantly for candidates, and solely allowed government-screened "patriots" to face.
Under the earlier system, about half of the 70-seat legislature was instantly elected by the general public, whereas the opposite half was chosen by commerce and business our bodies that normally favor pro-China candidates.The new reforms expanded the legislature to 90 seats -- however the overwhelming majority of those are managed by a pro-Beijing, government-appointed committee, and commerce and business our bodies. Now, solely 20 seats are instantly elected by the general public -- the bottom quantity since Hong Kong was handed over to Chinese rule in 1997.
A banner outside a polling station in Hong Kong during the Legislative Council election on December 19.
Quite a few Hong Kong activists who fled overseas known as on voters to boycott the election in the run-up to Sunday, arguing it was a sham election -- a criticism echoed by many rights teams and worldwide observers.Former lawmakers Nathan Law and Ted Hui, each in self-exile, have been amongst these advocating a boycott. Hong Kong authorities subsequently issued arrest warrants towards them.In Lam's assertion Sunday night time, she argued the brand new electoral system was wanted for order and good "governance," including that in earlier elections, "anti-China forces entered the political system ... throwing the Legislative Council into chaos."
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Sunday's low turnout stands in stark distinction to 2019, when almost 3 million individuals -- a 71.2% turnout -- voted in district council elections that delivered a landslide victory for the pro-democracy camp.
The 2019 election passed off months into the protest motion, after million-strong marches and avenue clashes between demonstrators and police. At the time, the vote was framed as a de facto referendum on the protests.
Under the nationwide safety legislation and Beijing's crackdown on town, political opposition has been all however worn out. Most opposition leaders and former pro-democracy lawmakers are actually both in jail or exile, whereas many of the councilors who gained in 2019 have both resigned, left Hong Kong, or been disqualified by the federal government.

In a information convention on Monday morning, Lam acknowledged Sunday's turnout had been low -- however argued that wasn't essentially a nasty factor. The excessive turnout of 2019 was "based on polarization," Lam mentioned. "The (2019) election only had a high turnout rate because of the difficulties in Hong Kong," she added. "It's not something we should be proud of."



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