Hong Kong votes in ‘patriots only’ polls amid anger over deadly fire

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee urges the nationalist to travel retired and ballot amid expectations of a debased turnout.

Voters successful Hong Kong are heading to the polls to elite caller lawmakers nether China’s “patriots only” rules, though authorities efforts to thrust turnout person been overshadowed by choler implicit the city’s handling of a major deadly fire.

Polls opened aboriginal connected Sunday crossed the autonomous Chinese metropolis to prime 90 legislators, though lone 20 of those seats are straight elected.

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The predetermination is lone the 2nd clip since the metropolis overhauled the electoral strategy to guarantee that lone those deemed “patriots” tin tally for office.

Political campaigning for the polls was abruptly paused successful precocious November, aft a blaze tore done the lodging blocks of Wang Fuk Court successful bluish Hong Kong, sidesplitting astatine slightest 159 people.

Al Jazeera’s Laura Westbrook, reporting from Hong Kong, said “there had been immoderate questions” whether the voting should spell up successful airy of the tragedy, believed to beryllium the world’s deadliest residential gathering occurrence since 1980.

“But Hong Kong’s main executive, John Lee, said the ballot should spell ahead, arsenic a mode to support stability, and that helium needed the recently elected legislature to assistance propulsion done reforms arsenic good arsenic guarantee the betterment and reconstruction efforts tin determination up quickly,” Westbrook said.

Lee had earlier announced a judge-led “independent committee” to analyse the fire, which devastated 7 flat blocks that were undergoing renovations.

He has besides urged the radical of Hong Kong to instrumentality portion successful the polls, saying their ballots represented betterment and enactment to the occurrence victims.

On Sunday, a sombre-looking Lee was seen casting his ballot successful the city.

Political campaigning was abruptly paused aft a blaze tore done the lodging blocks of Wang Fuk Court successful bluish Hong Kong successful precocious November, sidesplitting astatine slightest 159 people, and triggering nationalist choler implicit the handling of the calamity [Philip Fong/AFP]

As of this week, constabulary person arrested 15 radical from assorted operation companies connected suspicion of manslaughter.

Police besides reportedly arrested astatine slightest 3 radical for sedition for making nationalist disapproval of the authorities successful the aftermath of the fire.

Among those detained was 24-year-old pupil Miles Kwan, who handed retired flyers calling for authorities accountability. Kwan was aboriginal reported to person been released.

Earlier this week, a assemblage successful the metropolis besides unopen operations of its pupil national aft messages were posted connected field expressing condolences and urging justness for the victims of the fire.

Legislative elections successful Hong Kong utilized to entail boisterous clashes betwixt pro-Beijing and pro-democracy camps, with the second often winning astir 60 percent of the fashionable vote.

But successful 2020, Beijing imposed a sweeping nationalist information instrumentality aft the metropolis was roiled by immense and sometimes convulsive pro-democracy protests. The archetypal contention held nether the caller rules aboriginal that twelvemonth saw a grounds debased turnout of less than 30 percent.

Some pro-democracy lawmakers person been jailed, including arsenic portion of a subversion lawsuit that concluded past year, portion others resigned oregon fled Hong Kong.

Sunday’s contention volition erstwhile again beryllium devoid of the 2 largest pro-democracy parties aft the Civic Party disbanded successful 2023 and the Democratic Party said it is winding down.

Before the fire, authorities had blanketed overmuch of the metropolis successful promotional worldly and extended the operating hours of polling stations.

About a 3rd of the outgoing cohort of lawmakers, including veterans specified arsenic Regina Ip and legislature president Andrew Leung, are not seeking different term.