– Europe Press/Contact/Liao Zhongren
Madrid, December 6 (European Press) –
Hong Kong residents will go to the polls on Sunday to vote in the legislative elections, an event that has not been postponed at all and will be held in a sombre atmosphere after the tragic fire that began at the end of November in a skyscraper complex in the Tai Po district.
The fire, which quickly spread throughout the Wang Fook Court complex and has left more than 150 people dead so far, has put on the table the possibility of postponing the elections – which according to Hong Kong legislation can be postponed for a maximum of 14 days for security reasons.
However, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee confirmed that the election of members of the Legislative Council will continue on schedule given the importance of these elections for the Chinese Special Administrative Region, which seeks to maintain “stability” and promote its reforms.
Experts view these elections as a kind of referendum on the management of the Hong Kong government, which is facing increasing criticism and discontent amid tightening security measures.
The regime is once again relying on the idea that “only patriots” can run for office, as happened during the 2023 local elections with the support of the Chinese Communist Party. Thus, Beijing seeks to consolidate its control over the former British colony despite criticism from critical voices and the international community, which sees a violation of basic rights and freedoms.
Many consider this measure to undermine the idea of “one country, two systems” by which Beijing claims to rule this region, and even Macau as well. The possibility of the region to retain its own legal system on the margins took a major blow after the strong anti-government protests recorded in 2019.
“Patriots only”
With this modified system that reduces the options for the presence of the opposition in the Assembly, only candidates considered by the government as “nationalists” will be able to run in the elections in which only 20 deputies are elected directly by the population, while the rest are voted through committees.
Although the government has already announced that it plans to deploy a strong police force, it has expressed confidence that the elections can be held successfully “in accordance with the constitutional order.” What’s more, he asserts that the election will support a “faster recovery” from the disaster, and reaffirms the “responsibility” shown when investigating the fire and prosecuting potential perpetrators.
Lee also announced the introduction of “systemic reforms” after the fire and called for measures “in the public interest.” He explained, “We will translate all these painful lessons into concrete measures that enhance security in the city and institutional reform.” He added, “We must move forward before we turn pain and sadness into strength.”
For the Chinese government, Hong Kong’s new policies represent a return to “stability” and a solution to the “chaos” unleashed by “foreign forces” in the region. However, Hong Kong activists report that the majority of dissidents have been imprisoned or have fled the territory since Beijing launched a series of measures against them.
In 2019, amid a wave of criticism and protests against Chinese interference in the region’s autonomy, dissident candidates won more than half the seats thanks to an extraordinary participation of 71 percent of voters.
Police deployment and arrests
Currently, local authorities have justified strengthening security on the streets to avoid the outbreak of violence, protests and blockades. So far, several people have been arrested over the past week for calling for a boycott, as well as for committing acts of subversion because they considered this was not a democratic vote.
Police Inspector Chan Man Hee said, “Security forces will never tolerate all attempts to interfere or obstruct the legislative elections.” He stressed, “We will spare no effort in conducting investigations. We will do everything in our power to implement the law so that residents can vote in a safe and orderly environment,” in accordance with the criminalization of protest that comes alongside the national security law adopted in 2020.
Against all odds, government-organized forums that serve as discussion spaces for candidates seeking to interact with the public resumed on Wednesday, although campaign events were completely suspended as a sign of respect for the fire victims.
However, turnout is expected to suffer a setback, following the trend seen in the previous elections: in 2012 it was only 30.2 percent, compared to 58.3 percent in 2016.
The authorities tried to encourage turnout and announced that voters would have specific bus routes to go to vote, but everything indicated a large abstention from voting in a gloomy atmosphere after the tragedy.