Hong Kong's Rubber-Stamp Election Is Underway
Last week marked the start of the election campaign for the Legislative Council in Hong Kong, with voting taking place on September 4th and 5th. The election itself will occur on September 11th when the ballots are tallied and winners are declared in seats around the territory. This year's election has been somewhat controversial due to controversies surrounding the disqualification of six pro-democracy candidates by the government, who many have accused of pandering to Beijing's interests rather than Hong Kong's own people.
What's at stake
The pro-democracy movement has come a long way since it emerged on Hong Kong’s streets in 2014. Its leaders are largely disqualified from participating in Saturday’s election, but many in Hong Kong still see Beijing as a threat to their autonomy and freedoms.
What are the candidates saying?
The election so far has drawn a mixed response. The pro-democracy candidate, Joshua Wong, tweeted: I call on all Hongkongers to go to a polling station today and vote! It’s time for universal suffrage. But Beijing has made it clear that only candidates it approves of will be allowed to stand in elections.
How will this election be different?
One of Hong Kong’s two largest pro-democracy parties, The Frontier, will not run any candidates in these elections. According to a recent survey from Hong Kong University, only 25% of registered voters said they would cast ballots. By comparison, voter turnout in 2016 was 47%. It’s pretty safe to say that China is likely to take a landslide victory in these elections and crush Hong Kong’s young democracy movement under its heel.
What happens next?
Pro-democracy lawmakers who have been disqualified from running in Sunday’s legislative elections, including Joshua Wong, are being allowed to vote. The election will install a new batch of pro-Beijing legislators to fill seats vacated by those protesting for universal suffrage in Hong Kong.