HONG KONG VOTERS HEAD TO POLLS IN TENSE VOTE

Record numbers of Hong Kong residents headed to the polls on Sunday to vote in district council elections, an event widely taken as a referendum on months of protest that have roiled the former British colony since early June.

Long lines started forming at polling stations early Sunday morning as riot police were stationed nearby in case of disturbances.

More than 1,100 candidates are competing for 452 seats in the city’s district councils, the lowest rung of its semi-democratic government.

By 10:30 am, over 720,000 people had cast their vote. Voter turnout was more than double the rate of the last

In the last election, there were only probeijing candidates in our district. This time there is also a democratic candidate. Something has changed

two district council elections.

Residents told dpa that the vote held much more significance for them than in years past.

“The election is the last chance to express our opinion. Most of the protests were banned by the government,” a 26-year-old bank clerk said after casting his vote.

“In the last election, there were only pro-beijing candidates in our district. This time there is also a democratic candidate. Something has changed.” It remained unclear how the polls would be impacted by revelations this weekend in Australian media that covert Chinese agents have deliberately interfered in Hong Kong politics.

Pro-democracy groups, however, have used months of protest and anger at Hong Kong’s government to register scores of new voters and promote their agenda.

Should pro-democracy candidates do well on Sunday, this would indicate that Hong Kongers remain firmly behind the protest movement, which has seen participation from hundreds of thousands of residents. -HONG KONG (DPA), 24

NOV, 2019