Post by : Rameen Ariff

Hong Kong’s latest legislative election, held on Sunday, December 7, witnessed the city’s second-lowest voter turnout in history, highlighting the continuing impact of Beijing’s “patriots only” rules. Following Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades, the election drew just 1.3 million voters from a total of 4.1 million registered, resulting in a turnout rate of 31.9 percent. Although slightly higher than the record low of 30.2 percent in the first election under the revamped system in 2021, it underscores a declining public engagement in the city’s tightly controlled political process.

Beijing had overhauled Hong Kong’s electoral system in 2021 after years of massive pro-democracy protests, reducing the number of directly elected seats to just 20 out of 90 and ensuring that only candidates loyal to Beijing could run. Sunday’s election featured 161 government-approved candidates, with the two major pro-democracy parties absent: the Civic Party had disbanded in 2023, and the Democratic Party is in the process of winding down. Around a third of incumbent lawmakers, including veteran politicians like Regina Ip and Legislative Council President Andrew Leung, chose not to seek re-election.

The election, conducted at Hong Kong’s Convention and Exhibition Centre, lacked the vibrant clashes between pro-Beijing and pro-democracy camps seen in previous decades, when pro-democracy candidates often secured around 60 percent of the popular vote. Analysts say the low turnout reflects widespread public apathy and a shrinking political space under Beijing’s tightened control, even as authorities move quickly to declare the winners.

This election marks another chapter in Hong Kong’s post-protest political landscape, where public participation has steadily fallen under the “patriots only” framework, raising questions about the city’s democratic representation and long-term political stability.

#world news #Global News