Voting began on the 7th (local time) in Hong Kong for the Legislative Council (parliament) election. The election is being held as all of Hong Kong is plunged into grief over a massive fire disaster that claimed 159 lives.
Under an election system overhaul led by the Chinese government, only pro-Beijing candidates certified as "patriots" can run in this election. Experts cited as the key thing to watch whether the Hong Kong public, whose sentiment has turned frigid due to the system revamp and the fire disaster, will record a high turnout.
According to Reuters that day, voting in the second Hong Kong Legislative Council election runs from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. The closing time is two hours later than in the first election in 2021, keeping the polls open for a total of 16 hours. It is seen as an attempt to make up for the record-low turnout in the last election and to calm the unsettled mood caused by the fire disaster.
The massive fire that broke out on the 26th at Wang Fuk Court, a public dwellings complex in the Tai Po area of Hong Kong, left at least 159 people dead. It is the worst loss of life in a fire in Hong Kong in 80 years. Authorities said substandard building materials used during remodeling intensified the blaze, but public anger among Hong Kong residents over lax safety management and a slow response has not subsided.
Chief Executive John Lee appealed for voter participation to soothe public anger. On the 5th, Lee said, "All voters should cast a critical vote," and emphasized that "voting is a system to reform the system and protect affected residents." The Chinese Office for Safeguarding National Security in Hong Kong also chimed in, saying, "If you truly love Hong Kong, vote."
But the election fervor is cold. After the first Legislative Council election, the National People's Congress completely overhauled Hong Kong's electoral system. Under the revamp, anyone running for Legislative Council must be a "patriot" recognized by the Candidate Eligibility Review Committee. Most major pro-democracy figures have already been detained or have gone into exile under the Hong Kong National Security Act enacted after the massive protests in 2019. Ahead of this election, the committee screened out the remaining pro-democracy figures by classifying them as anti-China figures.
Worried about low turnout, Hong Kong authorities are also taking a hard line. On the 4th, the Independent Commission Against Corruption said it arrested seven people on suspicion of inciting non-participation in voting. In Hong Kong, inciting a boycott of the election or encouraging blank ballots is a criminal offense.
China's central government is also on high alert for the possibility of anti-government protests using the fire disaster as a pretext. The Chinese government warned, "We will not tolerate acts that use the fire to throw Hong Kong society into chaos."
The key is turnout. Turnout in the 2021 Legislative Council election was 30.2%, the lowest since Hong Kong's return in 1997. The prevailing view is that a rebound in turnout will be difficult, with many pro-democracy supporters expected to abstain and the atmosphere of mourning over the fire disaster overlapping.
The results could begin to take shape as early as the early hours of the 8th. In the 2021 election, winners were announced around 3 a.m. on the 20th, the day after voting. The count finished later that morning. Experts also predicted that, barring major surprises, the pro-Beijing camp would sweep all 90 Legislative Council seats this time.