Skip to main content
Global Edition
Thursday, March 28, 2024

HK could postpone election in democracy blow

Duration: 01:14s 0 shares 5 views

HK could postpone election in democracy blow
HK could postpone election in democracy blow

Reports in Hong Kong suggest a vote for seats in the city's legislature could be postponed by a year amid fears of a resurgence in coronavirus cases.

Opposition democrats have accused Beijing of using the pandemic as an excuse.

Adam Reed reports.

Hong Kong is considering postponing its upcoming elections by a year, which would be a huge blow for opposition democrats.

Fears of a coronavirus resurgence would make holding the September 6 election unmanageable, public broadcaster RTHK reported Wednesday (July 29).

The report didn’t cite sources or give any more detail.

Pro-democracy activists hope to win a historic majority in elections in the city-state.

They strongly oppose China’s recent imposition of a new security law, viewed by many in the West as an erosion of citizens’ rights.

Prominent democracy activist Joshua Wong wrote on social media that using the coronavirus for any delay is quote “definitely a lie”.

If the postponement is made official, then a new election date of not more than 14 days after the original, must be announced immediately, according to election laws.

However, even that rule is open to interpretation during times of public risk, which could lead to a further delay.

Hong Kong has reported about 3,000 coronavirus cases since January and more than 20 deaths - far lower than in other major cities around the world.

You might like

Related news coverage

Hong Kong delays election by a year

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Friday postponed a Sept. 6 election for the city's legislature for a year because of a spike in..

Reuters - Politics

Advertisement