Hong Kong is holding its breath ahead of elections on Sunday, which carry added ...
HONG KONG - Hong Kong is holding its breath ahead of elections on Sunday, which carry added significance after brutal attacks on candidates and months of unrest by protesters seeking the freedom to choose their own leader.
“We have to ensure voter safety and let them vote without any interference,” Police Commissioner Tang Ping-keung said at a briefing on Friday after a two-day lull in violence. A man stabbed and wounded pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho this month. Jimmy Sham, a leader of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy Civil Human Rights Front, was beaten by men with hammers in October after his group organized mass rallies against the extradition bill.
“We do not want to see the postponement or adjournment of the polling unless absolutely necessary,” said Patrick Nip, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs.A record 1,104 people are running for 452 district seats and a record 4.1 million Hong Kong people have enrolled to vote for district councillors, who control some local spending, and whose daily decisionmaking spans a range of neighborhood issues including recycling, transport and public healthcare.
The district councils are sometimes seen as a nurturing ground for young political talent. Five district councillors can also run for five seats in the city’s Legislative Council, or mini-parliament, in September 2020.
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