BREAKING: Democratically-elected seats slashed to 20% for local Hong Kong elections, candidates vetted
Hong Kong Free Press
The number of District Council seats democratically chosen by the public will be slashed to around 20 per cent, Chief Executive John Lee announced on Tuesday afternoon. Candidates will also be put through national security background checks and a new nomination system, following a landslide by the pro-democracy camp in the last polls in 2019.
According to the government’s proposed changes, only 88 seats in the polls scheduled for November will be directly elected by the public – down from 452 in the last poll. The number of overall seats will fall from 479 to 470.
The election constituency boundaries will also be redrawn, allowing two representatives to be elected in each constituency, while each voter may only vote for one candidate. The total number of constituencies will be reduced from 452 to 44.
Among remaining seats, 179 will be appointed by the chief executive – a system that was previously abolished in 2016 – and the 27 ex-officio seats will remain. The new District Councils will be chaired by the District Officer, the government official who leads each District Office.
The rest – 176 seats – will be produced through elections within the District Fight Crime Committees, District Fire Safety Committees and Area Committees of each district.
Vetted candidates
In order to run for the upcoming poll, candidates must now secure at least three nominations from each of the three committees, on top of nominations from voters in their own constituencies.
Candidates will also have to undergo background checks to ensure only “patriots” can govern Hong Kong, a principle laid out by Beijing when they overhauled the city’s electoral system in 2021.
The proposal will be tabled at the Legislative Council. Ming Pao cited sources as saying that the government expected the legislative work to be completed before July, in order for the election to be carried out in late November or early December.
The government’s move came after pro-democratic candidates secured a landslide victory in the last District Council election in 2019, when the city was gripped by large-scale, months-long protests and unrest.
However, the majority of them resigned in July 2021 following media reports that the government would require them to take oaths, and repay their wages and subsidies if disqualified.
Last week, ex-chief executive Leung Chun-ying said it was not necessary for Hong Kong to hold elections to appoint district-level administrators, whilst pro-Beijing heavyweight Rita Fan said the previous pro-democracy landslide made her “very afraid,” and publicly-elected seats must be slashed for the city’s “self-protection.”
Most opposition figures are now behind bars, have fled the city, or have quit politics.
Support HKFP | Code of Ethics | Error/typo? | Contact Us | Newsletter | Transparency & Annual Report
