‘The result is already known’: Hong Kongers vote in a no surprise election

As Hong Kong voters voted on Sunday, some say the result has already been pre-approved by the Chinese Communist Party, reports William Yang

Posters promoting candidates Edward Leung Hei and Stanley Ng Chau Pei, president of Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (Getty Images)

For the first time in more than two years, Hong Kongers headed to the polls on Sunday for the legislative council election. However, several things have changed in the former British colony since the last election in November 2019.

This will be the first election since the government imposed a controversial national security law last July, and unlike previous years, most of the pro-democracy political parties didn’t nominate any candidate in this election. The security law, which criminalises many acts of dissent, is being implemented alongside what pro-democracy activists described as more stringent rules to wipe out any “anti-China” element.

Additionally, dozens of pro-democracy politicians who were supposed to be featured in this delayed election are now detained, with others being disqualified or being in exile. Following an overhaul of the electoral system that was passed by China’s National People’s Congress in March, only 20 out of the 90 seats in the legislative council will now be directly elected by Hong Kong voters.