A record number of Hong Kongers had cast ballots in district elections by yesterday afternoon, with hours to go before polls were due to close, as they seized the first opportunity to vote after months of increasingly violent protests calling for greater democracy.
About 2.5 million people, or about 60 percent of the electorate, had voted by 6:30pm, the Hong Kong government said.
The previous highest turnout was 1.47 million in 2015.
Residents faced unusually long lines at polling stations across the territory as they came out to vote in the district council elections.
“There’s so many people it’s brought tears to my eyes,” said Ng Siu-hong, a councilor for the Central and Western District. “It’s good for me, but more importantly good for democracy.”
The vote proceeded peacefully and as scheduled, despite prior warnings from Hong Kong officials that it could be postponed.
There were concerns after some candidates came under attack and the territory was paralyzed by days of chaos, with schools suspended, protesters blocking roads and disrupting commutes, and riot police laying siege to a university.
Polls were due to close at 10:30pm and results were expected early today.
The vote came at a time of unprecedented political polarization in the territory, with divisions hardening as the protests turn more violent.
While most Hong Kongers support the protesters’ goals of an independent inquiry into police abuses and meaningful elections, they are also increasingly fed up with tactics including vandalizing transport networks, seizing universities and using medieval-style weapons.
“It’s kind of a referendum on the government and everything that’s happened over the past five months,” said Chi Jia Tschang, a senior director in the Hong Kong office of BowerGroupAsia, which advises companies on business and political risk in the region. “People still want an opportunity to work within the system to have their voices heard. That’s why there’s so much focus on this.”
The district council is the lowest rung of government in the territory and councilors have few real powers, mostly advising the Hong Kong chief executive on matters like fixing parks and organizing community activities.
Its elections have typically been plagued by low voter turnout and are not hugely competitive, compared with those for the more powerful Hong Kong Legislative Council.
However, they are being closely watched this year as the first democratic exercise since the protests began in June. Enthusiasm is high among pro-democracy forces, who are hopeful they can pressure Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s (林鄭月娥) administration to become more compromising.
Lord Alton of Liverpool, an independent election observer who was visiting areas around polling stations in the afternoon, was upbeat about the situation.
“The turnout is significantly up so far on previous elections, more than double from four years ago,” he said. “The absence so far during the day of protests means there shouldn’t be any negative reason for people feeling unable to go out to vote.”
District councilors help appoint 117 of the 1,200 electors who select the chief executive, which would give pro-democracy forces more choice over candidates who must nevertheless still be approved by Beijing.
ANNOUNCEMENT: People who do not comply with the ban after a spoken warning would be reported to the police, the airport company said on Friday Taoyuan International Airport Corp on Friday announced that riding on vehicles, including scooter-suitcases (also known as “scootcases”), bicycles, scooters and skateboards, is prohibited in the airport’s terminals. Those using such vehicles should manually pull them or place them on luggage trolleys, the company said in a Facebook post. The ban intends to maintain order and protect travelers’ safety, as the airport often sees large crowds of people, it said, adding that it has stepped up publicity for the regulation, and those who do not comply after a spoken warning would be reported to the police. The company yesterday said that
QUIET START: Nearly a week after applications opened, agencies did not announce or promote the program, nor did they explain how it differed from other visitor visas Taiwan has launched a six-month “digital nomad visitor visa” program for foreign nationals from its list of visa-exempt countries who meet financial eligibility criteria and provide proof of work contracts. To apply, foreign nationals must either provide proof that they have obtained a digital nomad visa issued by another country or demonstrate earnings based on age brackets, the Bureau of Consular Affairs said. Applicants aged 20 to 29 must show they earned an annual salary of at least US$20,000 or its equivalent in one of the past two years, while those aged 30 or older must provide proof they earned US$40,000 in
UNITY MESSAGE: Rather than focusing on what Trump said on the campaign trail about Taiwan, Taipei should be willing to engage with the US, Pompeo said Taiwan plays a key role in Washington’s model of deterrence against China, former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said in a speech in Taipei yesterday. During US president-elect Donald Trump’s first term, “we had developed what we believe was a pretty effective model of deterrence against adversaries who wanted to undermine the set of rules and values that the people of Taiwan and the people of the US hold dear,” Pompeo said at a forum organized by the Formosa Republican Association. “Succeeding in continuing to build this model will not solely rest at the feet of president Trump and his team,
SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS: The suspects formed spy networks and paramilitary groups to kill government officials during a possible Chinese invasion, prosecutors said Prosecutors have indicted seven retired military officers, members of the Rehabilitation Alliance Party, for allegedly obtaining funds from China, and forming paramilitary groups and assassination squads in Taiwan to collaborate with Chinese troops in a possible war. The suspects contravened the National Security Act (國家安全法) by taking photos and drawing maps of key radar stations, missile installations and the American Institute in Taiwan’s headquarters in Taipei, prosecutors said. They allegedly prepared to collaborate with China during a possible invasion of Taiwan, prosecutors said. Retired military officer Chu Hung-i (屈宏義), 62, a Republic of China Army Academy graduate, went to China
RSS