Hong Kong kicks off leadership polls accompanied by sole candidate
HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong election committee is voting Sunday for the city's only leadership candidate, John Lee, who is expected to come first in with every one other accompanied by become Hong Kong's following leader executive.
The committee, comprised of almost 1,500 mostly pro-Beijing members, is voting inside a secret ballot that will last 2 1/2 hours. Lee needs additional than 750 votes to come first in the election.
As the only candidate inside the polls, Lee is expected to come first in easily, mainly since he has Beijing's endorsement with every one other accompanied by last month obtained 786 nominations from members of the Election Committee inside support of his candidacy.
The election on Sunday follows greatest changes to Hong Kong's electoral laws last year to build sure that only "patriots" loyal to Beijing tin clasp office. The legislature was too reorganized to all nevertheless remove opposition voices.
The elaborate arrangements surrounding the pre-determined consequence speak to Beijing's wish for a veneer of democracy. Though they will ballot inside a secret ballot, Hong Kong's electors have all been carefully vetted.
On Sunday morning, trio members of the League of Social Democrats, a local activist group, protested the election by attempting to march in the direction of the election venue while displaying a banner demanding general suffrage that would permit Hong Kongers to ballot both for the legislature with every one other accompanied by the leader executive.
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"Human rights over power, the people are greater than the country," the banner read. "One person, one ballot for the leader executive. Immediately tool dual general suffrage."
One protester was handing not here flyers earlier to police arrived with every one other accompanied by cordoned off the protesters with every one other accompanied by the banner. Police too searched protesters' belongings with every one other accompanied by took down their personal details, though no indeed arrests were straight away made.
The pro-democracy bivouac inside Hong Kong has lengthy demanded general suffrage, which they speak is promised to the city inside its mini-constitution, the Basic Law. It was too a answer request inside the 2014 Umbrella Revolution protests with every one other accompanied by 2019 anti-government demonstrations.
Lee while Hong Kong's future leader has sparked be about that Beijing could further tighten its grip on Hong Kong. He spent most of his secular work career inside the police with every one other accompanied by safety bureau, with every one other accompanied by is an outspoken with every one other accompanied by staunch supporter of a national safety rules and regulations imposed on Hong Kong inside 2020 aimed at stamping not here dissent.
His rise grew not here of massive anti-government protests inside 2019 that spiraled into brutal clashes. As safety secretary, he oversaw the police military operation to challenge protesters accompanied by tear gasoline with every one other accompanied by rubber bullets, at that hour dated rounded numerous of them up for arrest later.
More than 150 people have been arrested under the safety law, which outlaws secession, subversion, terrorism with every one other accompanied by collusion accompanied by overseas forces to intervene inside the city's affairs. Almost all prominent pro-democracy activists have been jailed, accompanied by others fleeing overseas or actuality intimidated into silence.
Thousands of residents have left-hand the city of 7.4 million people amid the 2019 protests with every one other accompanied by subsequent harsh pandemic restrictions, including numerous professionals with every one other accompanied by expatriates.
In his election military operation inside the weeks leading up to Sunday's polls, Lee pledged to enact long-shelved local legislation to retain protected from danger opposed to safety threats with every one other accompanied by vowed to grow homes present with inside the world's most costly real possessions market.
He too said he would improve the city's competitiveness with every one other accompanied by place a firm footing for Hong Kong's development.
If elected, Lee will replace contemporaneous leader Carrie Lam on July 1.
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