Blow for HK democrats
> Their candidates win only two of four by-election seats
HONG KONG: A low turnout in byelections in Hong Kong on Sunday raised alarms among the city’s pro-democracy camp as its candidates struggled to gain sufficient seats to win back a legislative veto bloc and a recount was ordered in one closely fought district.
Some voters voiced concerns about the city’s future in light of news that China’s parliament had passed a constitutional change paving the way for President Xi Jinping to stay in power indefinitely.
Some 43% of the territory’s 2.1 million eligible voters cast ballots, the government said, far less than the record 58% turnout at the last full legislative election two years ago.
The city’s democratic opposition has so far won two of the four seats up for grabs, and the pro-establishment camp one.
The remaining seat in Kowloon West hangs in the balance, with authorities ordering a recount as only a slender margin separates the democratic candidate, Edward Yiu, and pro-Beijing party DAB’s Vincent Cheng.
The four Legislative Council seats were once held by Yiu and other pro-democracy lawmakers who were ousted from public office over invalid oaths of office in a move critics said was politically motivated.
If the democrats fail to recapture the fourth seat, they will lose veto power over most bills in the legislature, which could effectively become a rubber-stamp parliament not unlike Beijing’s National People’s Congress.
Sunday’s polls coincided with the historic vote in Beijing’s parliament that removed the Chinese president’s term limits.
That stoked unease in Hong Kong, given the relatively tough line Xi has taken in political dealings with the country’s financial hub.
“There is not much freedom (under Xi) and the space for expression is getting narrower for Hong Kong,” said voter Candy Chan, 24, emerging from a polling station.
“While I haven’t completely lost hope, my feeling is things will gradually get worse.”
Another voter, Sophia Yiu, 23, said of Xi: “Nobody would believe such a person would do any good for Hong Kong.”
During a visit to Hong Kong last July, Xi warned Beijing would not tolerate any challenge to its authority.
Prior to Sunday’s polls, several democracy activists including Agnes Chow were barred from running, drawing international criticism, including from the European Union.
Some democrats say these polls are crucial to redress the injustice of the disqualifications, and to safeguard Hong Kong’s freedom and autonomy. – Reuters