A record turnout was expected in yesterday's legislative council elections in Hong Kong, which the territory's Democratic Party has billed as "a referendum on democracy."
Analysts say the turnout could be in excess of 60 percent, beating the previous record turnout of 53 percent in 1998, a year after Hong Kong was returned to Chinese rule by Britain.
By 4:30pm, nearly one million voters -- 30 percent of Hong Kong's 3.2 million registered voters -- had cast their ballots with six hours remaining until polling stations closed.
Yesterday's election for the 30 directly-elected seats in the legislature comes just two months after 530,000 people marched through the streets of Hong Kong demanding universal suffrage.
Yeung Sum (楊森), head of the Democratic Party, which is expected to win the greatest share of the vote, called the election "a referendum on Hong Kong's democracy."
After a bruising campaign marred by alleged dirty tricks, he told his supporters on the eve of voting: "A vote for the pro-democracy camp is tantamount to voting for universal suffrage."
Pro-democracy legislators hold the greatest share of directly-elected seats on Hong Kong's legislative council and are expected to maintain their dominance.
However, pro-China legislators are likely to maintain control because 30 more seats in so-called functional constituencies are picked by an election committee and largely pro-Beijing professional interest groups.
A total of 88 candidates are contesting the 30 directly elected seats in a contest seen as a battle between the Democratic Party and the main pro-Beijing party, the Democratic Alliance.
The turnout at yesterday's election appeared on course to far exceed that of the last legislative council election four years ago, when voter turnout was only 43.5 percent.
Since then, the political temperature in Hong Kong has risen considerably with mass protests and China intervening in May to say there will be no universal suffrage for at least the next four years.
Political scientist James Sung of Hong Kong's City University predicted the turnout could be in excess of 60 percent and said a high turnout would favor pro-democracy candidates.
A report by Human Rights Watch released last week described the political atmosphere in Hong Kong as "toxic" and accused Beijing of meddling in the election.
After casting his vote yesterday morning, Hong Kong's deputy leader Donald Tsang (曾蔭權) emphasized how the election represented a milestone for Hong Kong as the number of directly-elected seats had been increased from 24 to 30.
Hong Kong's Beijing-appointed leader Tung Chee-hwa (董建華) was booed and jeered by a small group of protesters when he cast his ballot.
RESPONSE: The transit sends a message that China’s alignment with other countries would not deter the West from defending freedom of navigation, an academic said Canadian frigate the Ville de Quebec and Australian guided-missile destroyer the Brisbane transited the Taiwan Strait yesterday morning, the first time the two nations have conducted a joint freedom of navigation operation. The Canadian and Australian militaries did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Ministry of National Defense declined to confirm the passage, saying only that Taiwan’s armed forces had deployed surveillance and reconnaissance assets, along with warships and combat aircraft, to safeguard security across the Strait. The two vessels were observed transiting northward along the eastern side of the Taiwan Strait’s median line, with Japan being their most likely destination,
GLOBAL ISSUE: If China annexes Taiwan, ‘it will not stop its expansion there, as it only becomes stronger and has more force to expand further,’ the president said China’s military and diplomatic expansion is not a sole issue for Taiwan, but one that risks world peace, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that Taiwan would stand with the alliance of democratic countries to preserve peace through deterrence. Lai made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). “China is strategically pushing forward to change the international order,” Lai said, adding that China established the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, launched the Belt and Road Initiative, and pushed for yuan internationalization, because it wants to replace the democratic rules-based international
ECONOMIC BOOST: Should the more than 23 million people eligible for the NT$10,000 handouts spend them the same way as in 2023, GDP could rise 0.5 percent, an official said Universal cash handouts of NT$10,000 (US$330) are to be disbursed late next month at the earliest — including to permanent residents and foreign residents married to Taiwanese — pending legislative approval, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The Executive Yuan yesterday approved the Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及民生國安韌性特別條例). The NT$550 billion special budget includes NT$236 billion for the cash handouts, plus an additional NT$20 billion set aside as reserve funds, expected to be used to support industries. Handouts might begin one month after the bill is promulgated and would be completed within
The National Development Council (NDC) yesterday unveiled details of new regulations that ease restrictions on foreigners working or living in Taiwan, as part of a bid to attract skilled workers from abroad. The regulations, which could go into effect in the first quarter of next year, stem from amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) passed by lawmakers on Aug. 29. Students categorized as “overseas compatriots” would be allowed to stay and work in Taiwan in the two years after their graduation without obtaining additional permits, doing away with the evaluation process that is currently required,
RSS