Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (林鄭月娥) yesterday hailed the outcome of a “patriots only” legislative election that saw a record-low voter turnout and government loyalists sweep every seat.
The territory selected new lawmakers on Sunday under fresh rules imposed by Beijing that dramatically cut directly elected seats and controlled who could stand for office after huge democracy protests convulsed Hong Kong two years ago.
Figures showed that just 30 percent of the electorate cast ballots, the lowest rate both of the period since the territory’s 1997 handover to China and the British colonial era.
Photo: AFP
Lam defended the new system and played down the poor turnout.
“Hong Kong is now back on the right track of one country, two systems,” she told reporters.
“We cannot copy and paste the so-called democratic system or rules of the Western countries,” she said, arguing that the new rules meant “anti-China” elements were now excluded and political calm restored.
When asked why only 1.3 million of the 4.5 million registered voters cast ballots, Lam replied: “What is the reason, I can’t analyze. You may need to turn to other opinion leaders.”
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian (趙立堅) blamed the low turnout on the COVID-19 pandemic and “anti-China elements bent on destroying Hong Kong and the interference of external forces.”
Lam yesterday flew to Beijing to meet Chinese leaders as focus shifts to whether she will get backing for a second term in March when a 1,500-strong Election Committee stacked with Beijing loyalists is to pick the territory’s next leader.
With her public approval ratings at about 36 percent, Lam has so far declined to say whether she would seek a second term.
Hong Kong has never been a full democracy under either Britain or China, the source of years of protests. Beijing responded to months of huge rallies in 2019 by imposing a National Security Law criminalizing much dissent and political reforms to remove anyone deemed unpatriotic.
Most of the territory’s prominent democracy advocates — including many former elected lawmakers — are either in jail, have fled overseas or been disqualified. Alongside screening out “anti-China” elements, directly elected seats were slashed from half to 22 percent. The largest chunk — 40 — were picked by the Election Committee. The remaining 30 were chosen by larger pro-Beijing committees that represent special interest and industry groups.
Only 11 of the 153 candidates who made it through the vetting process were identified as “centrist” or “non-establishment” by local media, but none won enough votes.
The result is a Legislative Council stacked with government loyalists. Analysts said the new system could leave Hong Kong’s rulers even more out of touch with its residents.
“The tension between the authorities and the people will remain in place for a long time while the legislators won’t be mediators because they have to toe Beijing’s line,” Chung Kim-wah (鍾劍華) of the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute said.
SUPPORT: Arms sales to NATO Plus countries such as Japan, South Korea and Israel only have to be approved by the US Congress if they exceed US$25m The US should amend a law to add Taiwan to the list of “NATO Plus” allies and streamline future arms sales, a US commission said on Tuesday in its annual report to the US Congress. The recommendation was made in the annual report by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC), which contained chapters on US-China economic and trade ties, security relations, and Taiwan and Hong Kong. In the chapter on Taiwan, the commission urged the US Congress to “amend the Arms Export Control Act of 1976 to include Taiwan on the list of ‘NATO Plus’ recipients,” referring to
Taiwan yesterday advanced to the gold medal match of the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 for the first time in history, despite last night losing 9-6 to Japan. Taiwan advanced after the US defeated Venezuela in the first game on the last day of the Super Round. However, the US had no chance of advancing to the championship game unless it defeated Venezuela by at least nine points. The US won 6-5. As a result, the two teams — who both had one win and two losses in the Super Round — are to face off again in the
Minister of Labor Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) said she would tender her resignation following criticism of her handling of alleged bullying by Ministry of Labor Workforce Development Agency branch director Hsieh Yi-jung (謝宜容) resulting in the death of an employee. The ministry yesterday gave Hsieh two demerits and said she is subject to review by the Disciplinary Court. The severest possible punishment would be her removal from office and being barred from government jobs indefinitely. Workforce Development Agency Director-General Tsai Meng-liang (蔡孟良) also received a major demerit and was transferred to another position. Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) issued a formal apology
FREEDOM CURTAILED: The conviction of 45 democracy advocates proves the ‘unworkability’ of Beijing’s ‘one country, two systems’ model, the Presidential Office said Taiwan yesterday condemned China over the jailing of 45 Hong Kong activists, saying “democracy is not a crime.” The government “strongly condemned the Chinese government’s use of judicial measures and unfair procedures to suppress the political participation and freedom of speech of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy activists,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said in a statement. International condemnation of the jailings has been swift, with the US, Australia and rights groups slamming the sentencing as evidence of the erosion of political freedoms in the territory since Beijing imposed a national security law in 2020. Yesterday’s sentencing “not only breaks the promises of ‘50
RSS