Hong Kong’s democratic opposition was yesterday aiming to win back a crucial Legislative Council seat in a by-election that would restore some of its veto power at a time when the territory’s freedoms are under strain.
The opposition Democratic Party squandered a chance in March to regain its veto power, garnering only two of four seats in a by-election and leaving them one seat short of blocking most bills in the 70-seat chamber, now largely controlled by Beijing allies.
After 156 years of British colonial rule, Hong Kong returned to China in 1997 under a “one country, two systems” formula guaranteeing it a high degree of autonomy and the promise of eventual universal suffrage.
Photo: AP
While the Democrats have enjoyed strong backing from a public aggrieved by China’s creeping control of the financial hub, they have struggled against a far larger and better funded pro-Beijing camp and unprecedented moves by authorities to curb electoral freedoms.
A pro-independence political party was banned this year, while several promising democracy advocates were barred from contesting various polls after being deemed ideologically unsuitable for public office.
“The democrats have had so many seats taken away from them,” said Wa Lam, a 47-year-old salesman who voted with his wife.
“They’re getting weaker and weaker, but I hope they can still hold on and help guard the city,” he said.
A higher turnout was expected to help the democrats, but by late afternoon, only about a quarter of the 490,000 eligible voters had cast a ballot.
“Apathy is our biggest enemy so far,” Lee Cheuk-yan (李卓人), a former pro-democracy lawmaker and the main candidate for the democratic camp, told reporters.
“This election is crucial ... we can further resist the erosion of our power base by the [Chinese] Communist Party. I think most people don’t want Hong Kong to become another Chinese city,” Lee added.
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