BEIJING – China on Thursday approved a drastic overhaul of Hong Kong’s election rules, which will most likely prevent many pro-democracy politicians from running in elections, confirming Beijing’s grip on the area.
The National People’s Congress, the Chinese legislative government controlled by the Communist Party, voted almost unanimously to give pro-Beijing loyalists more power to elect Hong Kong’s local leader, as well as members of its legislature. The decision builds on comprehensive national security legislation for Hong Kong, which was introduced last year after months of protests used by the authorities to destroy the opposition in the former British colony.
Prime Minister Li Keqiang said at his annual news conference that the new legislation is needed to ensure that ‘patriots’ govern the area. But critics say the new electoral system will wipe out Hong Kong’s already limited democracy after its return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997.
This is what we know about the changes.
Beijing will say even more about who leads Hong Kong.
So far, Hong Kong’s chief executive has been elected by a 1,200-member election committee led by Beijing’s allies. This has enabled China to choose leaders it trusts.
But the support of the area’s democracy movement during huge protests in 2019 raised the possibility that the opposition could gather a majority of votes to stimulate Beijing’s choice.
Beijing plans to add another 300 seats in the committee, which could allow more seats to go to its allies. Congress also introduced a new rule that would most likely prevent Democrats from voting on the election committee. To be nominated, a candidate will now need at least some support from each of the five main groups on the committee. Beijing now has the chance to form one group from its loyalists, which will block candidates for democracy.
Such moves are likely to deprive Democratic supporters of much of a say when the committee votes early next year to elect Hong Kong’s leader. The current CEO, Carrie Lam, may be up for re-election, but has not yet said whether she will do so.
Candidates considered ‘disloyal’ will be wiped out.
Beijing will also empower the Electoral Commission to appoint some members of the Hong Kong Legislature directly. For many, it is a regression, as the committee lost the authority to appoint lawmakers several years after Hong Kong returned to Chinese sovereignty from the British government.
“I think it’s generally an effective, rapid, reverse democratization package,” said Sonny Lo, a Hong Kong political analyst. “The pro-democracy powers, even if they can win all the directly elected seats, are destined to be a permanent minority.”
Half of the seats in the legislature are currently elected by direct elections and half by so-called functional constituencies: different professions, business groups and other special interests. Until recently, Democrats held about two dozen seats and often used their presence to protest China’s entry against the region’s autonomy and filter out a number of local government measures.
Mrs. Lamb, Hong Kong’s chief executive, said the changes prevented deviant politicians from disrupting the legislature, known as LegCo.
“We will be able to solve the problem that LegCo has been doing everything politically in recent years and can effectively deal with the reckless movements or internal rifts that have torn Hong Kong apart,” she said.
Beijing is recommending an extension of the legislature to 90 seats from 70. It does not say how many of the seats will be appointed directly by the election committee.
Congress also said the government in Hong Kong would set up a separate committee to vet candidates it wants to elect to the legislature or chief executive. This process is meant to wipe out anyone who may become unfaithful to Beijing.
It’s a sad move, ‘say Democrats.
Even before the legislation came into force, the Beijing-backed government in Hong Kong moved quickly to quench the opposition.
Many activists have been detained or arrested on charges related to national law, including Joshua Wong; Martin Lee, known as the “father of democracy” in Hong Kong; and Benny Tai, a scientist. Their voice is considerably muffled.
Pro-democracy activists have warned that changing the electoral law would limit the limited voting rights in the area.
Lo Kin-hei, the chairman of the Democratic Party and one of the few prominent opposition figures who is not in custody, called the election changes a sad move for Hong Kong.
“They need the Legislative Council to actually respond more to the people’s voice, instead of suppressing the people’s voice, as their proposal is now,” Lo said.
“I believe that in the future, the legislative councilors will be less and less representative of the Hong Kong people and that they will be just loyalists who can do nothing and who can not represent the Hong Kong people at all,” he said.
Last month, authorities charged 47 people, many of them well-known democracy activists, with conspiracy to undermine.
Their crime in the eyes of the police was their role in holding a primary election meant to identify candidates for democracy for legislative elections originally planned in September last year. The government postponed the election by a year in reference to the pandemic and pointed out that a further postponement was needed while the new law was being drafted and implemented.
Keith Bradsher reported from Beijing, and Chris Buckley of Sydney, Australia. Austin Ramzy reporting from Hong Kong. Liu Yi, Albee Zhang and Claire Fu contributed research.