Hong Kong is holding elections this Sunday Legislative Council In a climate of social unrest due to Wang Fuk Court residential complex fire –which left 159 dead less than two weeks ago– and under the restrictive electoral system established by Beijing in 2021, which limits the weight of universal suffrage and shields the process from opposition candidates.
At midday, participation reaches 19.5% – 719,000 voters out of the 4.13 million registered -, a record slightly higher than that of the 2021 elections but which maintains concern about abstention. The New Territories Northeast constituency, where it is located This is Poethe district affected by the tragedy, is among the areas with lower attendance (16.6%) despite the deployment of buses to facilitate voting for evacuated residents. The president of the Electoral Commission, Luk Kai-hongdefended the decision to maintain the appointment and asked residents to go to the polls to reinforce the “institutional recovery.”
The tragedy caused by the worst fire in decades in the city has decisively marked a campaign unusually discreet: The candidates have reduced their presence on the street, have avoided loudspeakers and have focused their meetings on technical issues such as security audits or structural reviews. In many districts hardly any signs have been seen, and for the first time in twenty years No company or individual has requested permission to conduct exit polls..
The parties close to the central government – such as the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) and the New People’s Party— have intensified calls for mobilization to prevent participation from falling below the historic low of 30.2% recorded in 2021. Also participating are the Federation of Trade Unions (FTU), the Business and Professional Alliance (BPA), Civil Force and several independent candidates supported by sectoral chambers.
Electoral reform
The authorities They have extended hoursenabled new centers and urged companies to facilitate voting. At the same time, they have reinforced vigilance against any call for abstention or null votes. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) announced the arrest of four men for allegedly inciting third parties not to vote through publications on social networks, bringing the total number of arrests since the beginning of the electoral period to eleven.
The day involves second application of the 2021 electoral reformwhich reduced the directly elected seats from 35 to 20 and increased the weight of the functional constituencies and the Electoral Committee, dominated by profiles related to Beijing. In total, 161 candidates are running for 90 seats: 51 in territorial constituencies, 60 in functional sectors and 50 designated by the Committee.
The local Executive maintains that maintaining the event in the midst of social upheaval is a sign of “institutional maturity” and that the electoral process can coexist with the emergency management. Observers cited by local media point out that the outcome will be closely followed outside of Hong Kong, due to its impact on international perception of the city’s political evolution.
Polling stations will close at 11:30 p.m. local time (4:30 p.m. Spanish time) and the results will be announced on Monday. The new LegCo legislature, scheduled for January, will have to face the aftermath of the fire and advance reforms in housing, infrastructure security and social support.
