Hong Kong postpones fall election; opposition not buying virus blame
HONG KONG — The Hong Kong government said Friday it will postpone the city’s September legislative election by one year because of the coronavirus pandemic, a decision seen by the prodemocracy opposition as a brazen attempt to thwart its electoral momentum and avoid the defeat of pro-Beijing candidates.
“It is a really tough decision to delay, but we want to ensure fairness, public safety and public health,” said Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive.
She cited the risk of infections, with 3 million people expected to vote on the same day; the inability of candidates to hold campaign events due to social distancing rules; and the difficulties faced by voters who are overseas or in mainland China and cannot return to cast ballots because of travel restrictions.
The delay was a blow to opposition politicians, who had hoped to ride to victory in the fall on a wave of deep-seated dissatisfaction with the government and concerns about a sweeping new national security law imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong. And it was the latest in a quick series of aggressive moves by the pro-Beijing establishment that had the effect of sidelining the pro-democracy movement.
On Thursday, 12 pro-democracy candidates said they had been barred from running, including four sitting lawmakers and several prominent activists like Joshua Wong. Wong said he was barred in part because of his criticism of the new security law.
Even before Friday, the city’s pro-democracy opposition had accused the government of using social-distancing rules to clamp down on the protest movement that began more than a year ago.
Earlier this week, amid reports the vote might be delayed, Eddie Chu, a pro-democracy legislator running for reelection, said China’s ruling Communist Party was ordering “a strategic retreat.” They “want to avoid a potential devastating defeat” in the election, he wrote on Twitter.
Lam denied that the decision had been influenced by political concerns.
Under Hong Kong law, an election can be delayed for up to 14 days if there is a “danger to public health or safety.” But Lam postponed the election until Sept. 5, 2021, under emergency powers that allow the chief executive to make any regulations considered to be “desirable in the public interest.”
China’s central government said it supported Lam’s decision to delay the election, the staterun Xinhua News Agency reported.