This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-50531408
The article has changed 26 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Hong Kong local elections: Protesters hope poll will send message to China | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Pro-democracy protest groups in Hong Kong are urging people not to disrupt Sunday's local elections in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. | Pro-democracy protest groups in Hong Kong are urging people not to disrupt Sunday's local elections in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. |
| They hope the polls will send a message to the government in Beijing after five months of political unrest. | They hope the polls will send a message to the government in Beijing after five months of political unrest. |
| Long queues formed at polling stations and officials said early turnout was triple that of the last local election. | |
| Authorities have threatened to suspend voting if there is serious disruption at polling stations. | |
| Fears that polls might be closed because of disturbances could have contributed to the surge in early voting, analysts suggest. | |
| More than 400 councillors are due to be elected to Hong Kong's district council. | More than 400 councillors are due to be elected to Hong Kong's district council. |
| Pro-democracy campaigners hope they will be able to increase their representation on the council, which traditionally has some influence in choosing the city's chief executive. | Pro-democracy campaigners hope they will be able to increase their representation on the council, which traditionally has some influence in choosing the city's chief executive. |
| Pro-Beijing candidates are urging voters to support them in order to express frustration at the upheaval caused by continuous clashes between protesters and police. | Pro-Beijing candidates are urging voters to support them in order to express frustration at the upheaval caused by continuous clashes between protesters and police. |
| What's happening? | What's happening? |
| Polls opened at 07:30 local time (23:30 GMT) on Sunday with a record 4.1 million people registered to vote - more than half the population of 7.4 million. | |
| Within two hours about 430,000 people had cast their vote, the South China Morning Post reported, compared to 120,000 within the same timescale in the last such elections in 2015. | |
| More than 1,000 candidates are running for 452 district council seats which, for the first time, are all being contested. A further 27 seats are allocated to representatives of rural districts. | More than 1,000 candidates are running for 452 district council seats which, for the first time, are all being contested. A further 27 seats are allocated to representatives of rural districts. |
| Currently, pro-Beijing parties hold the majority of these seats. | Currently, pro-Beijing parties hold the majority of these seats. |
| Police were seen outside some polling stations and on the streets but correspondents said they kept a low profile. | |
| "Facing the extremely challenging situation, I am pleased to say... we have a relatively calm and peaceful environment for (the) election today," Chief Executive Carrie Lam said after voting. | |
| Ballots send a message | |
| By Jonathan Head, BBC News, Hong Kong | |
| Queues formed early at Taikoo Shing in beautiful sunny weather, and by the time voting began they snaked around the block. The picture was similar at other polling stations. Local issues were on the minds of some voters, but the importance of this election as a clear test of support for the government and its opponents was lost on very few. | |
| Some voters were uneasy about expressing any opinions in front of others. The sight of Democratic Party candidate Andrew Chiu sitting outside, chatting to reporters, and showing the bandaged left side of his head where an assailant bit off part of his ear earlier this month, offered a grim reminder of how far Hong Kong's crisis has divided communities and families. | |
| Nonetheless some told us they treasured this opportunity to send a message with their ballots, a free vote with a wide choice of candidates they said they were all too aware is not available in other parts of China. | |
| Ten out of thirty-five seats in this district were uncontested at the last local council election, where pro-government parties have long enjoyed the advantage of better funding. This time every seat is being contested. | |
| The opposition pan-democratic alliance has adopted the five demands of the protest movement as its slogan, and hopes public sentiment over the five-month crisis will give it an opportunity to take control of many of the district councils for the first time. | |
| Why are these elections important? | Why are these elections important? |
| District councils themselves have very little actual power, so usually these elections take place on a very local level. | District councils themselves have very little actual power, so usually these elections take place on a very local level. |
| But this election is different. | But this election is different. |
| They're the first elections since anti-government protests started in June, so they will act as a litmus test, reflecting how much support there is for the current government. | They're the first elections since anti-government protests started in June, so they will act as a litmus test, reflecting how much support there is for the current government. |
| "People in Hong Kong have begun to see this election as an additional way to articulate and express their views on the state of Hong Kong in general and the government of Carrie Lam," Kenneth Chan, associate professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, told news agency Reuters. | "People in Hong Kong have begun to see this election as an additional way to articulate and express their views on the state of Hong Kong in general and the government of Carrie Lam," Kenneth Chan, associate professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, told news agency Reuters. |
| Then there's the issue of Hong Kong's chief executive. | Then there's the issue of Hong Kong's chief executive. |
| Under Hong Kong's electoral system, 117 of the district councillors will also sit on the 1200-member committee that votes for the chief executive. | Under Hong Kong's electoral system, 117 of the district councillors will also sit on the 1200-member committee that votes for the chief executive. |
| So a pro-democracy district win could translate eventually to a bigger share, and say, in who becomes the city's next leader. | So a pro-democracy district win could translate eventually to a bigger share, and say, in who becomes the city's next leader. |
| Who is running? | Who is running? |
| There are some notable names running in the elections. | There are some notable names running in the elections. |
| Pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho - one of the most controversial politicians in the city - is among them. | Pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho - one of the most controversial politicians in the city - is among them. |
| Mr Ho was stabbed earlier this month by a man pretending to be a supporter. | Mr Ho was stabbed earlier this month by a man pretending to be a supporter. |
| The lawmaker has openly voiced his support for Hong Kong's police force on multiple occasions. He was in July filmed shaking hands with a group of men - suspected of being triad gangsters - who later assaulted pro-democracy protesters. | The lawmaker has openly voiced his support for Hong Kong's police force on multiple occasions. He was in July filmed shaking hands with a group of men - suspected of being triad gangsters - who later assaulted pro-democracy protesters. |
| Jimmy Sham, a political activist who has recently rose to prominence as the leader of the Civil Human Rights Front - a campaign group responsible for organising some of the mass protest marches - is running for the first time. | Jimmy Sham, a political activist who has recently rose to prominence as the leader of the Civil Human Rights Front - a campaign group responsible for organising some of the mass protest marches - is running for the first time. |
| Mr Sham has also been attacked twice, once apparently with hammers. Photographs showed him lying on the street covered in blood. | Mr Sham has also been attacked twice, once apparently with hammers. Photographs showed him lying on the street covered in blood. |
| Who isn't running is also notable. Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong was barred from running in the elections, a move he referred to as "political screening". | Who isn't running is also notable. Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong was barred from running in the elections, a move he referred to as "political screening". |