The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China decided at the end of March to substantially amend the Basic Law of Hong Kong in relation to the election system of the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council, the Hong Kong government published the constitution on Tuesday to start the local legislative process, and submitted the draft amendment to the electoral system to the Legislative Council on Wednesday, and completed the first and second readings, the pro-establishment legislators are expected to pass the third reading in the Legislative Council Assembly at the end of May.
The amendment bill adds a new crime, prohibiting the use of public activities during the election to incite others not to vote or cast blank or invalid votes, the maximum penalty can be imprisonment for three years.
The Democratic Party Chairman Luo Jianxi said that the Hong Kong government’s ban on white votes is incomprehensible, and he believes that it will only make Hong Kong people resentful, and the result may be counterproductive. Another academic analysis, the new electoral system of the censorship mechanism to exclude almost all the democratic camp to participate in the election, is expected to December’s Legislative Council elections turnout may hit a record low.
In response to the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) in late March to significantly amend Annexes I and II of the Hong Kong Basic Law, the electoral system for the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council, the Hong Kong Executive Council on Tuesday (April 13) passed the “Perfection of Electoral System (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2021”, to implement the revised content and details of the three elections to be held in Hong Kong in the coming year, and the gazettal of the local legislative process.
Legislative Council completed the first second reading of the draft amendment to the electoral system
The voting dates for the next three elections in Hong Kong have been set, with the Election Committee election to be held on September 19, the Legislative Council election on December 19, and the Chief Executive election on March 27 next year.
Hong Kong government on Wednesday (April 14) to the Legislative Council for the first and second reading of the draft amendment to the electoral system, the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Tsang Kwok-wai read the bill in the Legislative Council Assembly, he said this time Beijing’s move to amend Hong Kong’s electoral system is due to the 2019 anti-amendment campaign, demonstrators once occupied the Legislative Council, the pro-democracy Legislative Council members in the House Committee filibuster, resulting in seven months still not elected The Chairman of the House Committee, so that Hong Kong has almost entered the point of no governance.
Tsang said that these phenomena highlight the loopholes in Hong Kong’s electoral system, which may give the opposition an opportunity to take advantage of, and he believes that this time Beijing’s revision of the electoral system can put Hong Kong back on track and implement patriots ruling Hong Kong.
Tsang said: “The decision of the 13th National People’s Congress on improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was passed by a large number of votes at the 4th session of the National People’s Congress on March 11 this year. The decision is made in accordance with the Constitution, the Basic Law and the relevant provisions of the Hong Kong National Security Law, and can be regarded as constitutional and lawful, justified and well known.”
Expected to pass the third reading in the Legislative Council at the end of May
After the collective resignation of democratic legislators in November last year, there are only pro-establishment legislators in the Legislative Council, the Bill took less than half an hour to complete the first and second readings and will be referred to the Bills Committee for consideration.
The Bills Committee will hold its first meeting on Saturday (April 17), the committee chairman Liao Changjiang said that the content of the amendment bill more than 500 pages, he believes that the consideration of time is urgent, the next almost daily meetings, he expects to complete the work as soon as possible, is expected to pass the third reading in the Legislative Assembly at the end of May.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor Tuesday afternoon led a number of officials held a press conference to explain the content of the draft and amend the electoral system of Hong Kong’s local legislative work.
One of the most concerned about the amendments is the Election (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance to add a new crime, prohibit the use of public activities during the election to incite others not to vote or vote white, invalid votes, the maximum penalty can be imprisonment for three years.
The Democratic Party said the Hong Kong government ban on white votes is counterproductive
The Democratic Party chairman Luo Jianxi said Wednesday morning interviewed by Radio Television Hong Kong program, related practices are completely incomprehensible, because there have been different public appeals or attempts to persuade others how to vote, whether it is to support the designated candidate, or not to support any candidate, there have been no problems over the years, it is difficult to understand why these acts are now suddenly to be classified as illegal.
Luo Jianxi said: “line so many years of the situation, some people to choose to vote white or what candidates are good, in fact, have been peaceful, there is no problem, white votes will not affect the outcome of the election, in fact, you suddenly said to regulate, but also said to be the highest is 3 years in prison, and then the person being sued is also almost to prove their innocence In fact, I believe that this practice is to Hong Kong people are very disgusted. “
Luo Jianxi said that the ban on white votes will only make Hong Kong people resentful, he questioned whether the Hong Kong government is not prior to the revision of the electoral system may be unpopular, he believes that the ban on white votes may be counterproductive.
Luo Jianxi said: “It (Hong Kong Government) originally said that it did not want so many people to vote white, in fact, I do not know whether it is really prepared, that is, it thinks its own program is unpopular, but after a lot of people will want to vote white, so it wants to stop people to vote white or how, but I think that the results came out, it this approach, the more it speaks, the more it does, the more it legislates. The more it does, the more it legislates, in fact, it will make Hong Kong people more ‘automatic wave’ (automatic and conscious) will do, in fact, is counterproductive, is completely unable to understand why it has to do.”
Legislative Council election turnout is expected to be lower than the district elections in December
Luo Jianxi said that the Democratic Party has not decided whether to participate in the Legislative Council election in December this year, he predicted that the turnout rate of this Legislative Council election must be lower than that of the District Council election in 2019.
At that time, the District Council election held during the anti-sending campaign, the turnout rate hit a historic high of 71.23% in Hong Kong, the democratic camp in high turnout, the first time in a number of constituencies won a big victory, to obtain 86% of the 388 directly elected seats in Hong Kong.
Luo Jianxi said: “You go to observe the people of Hong Kong, especially the voters of the democratic camp, in fact, we feel that the desire to vote again is actually really low, that is, you (democratic camp) no matter if someone is running, no one is running, so this situation, that is, you forbid people to appeal (vote white) or what is good, in fact, is completely unhelpful to change this thing, you As a government, I think it should be the most important thing to do is to go with the voters, or with the public to speak, why you should go to the polls, or you do an election system is to make everyone will want to come out to vote, rather than to do some things, you think will be unpopular, I will enter into some more legislation to ban it, this approach is to put the cart before the horse.”
Luo Jianxi said that the changes in the electoral system this time to directly elected seats and the proportion are significantly reduced, the will of the people of Hong Kong will be more unable to get a proportional reflection in the legislature, he predicted that the future will only make the government’s administration more unpopular, more likely to accumulate public grievances, the future development of Hong Kong society is not helpful.
Chan Ka-lok said that the new election system almost excludes all democrats from running for election
Former Election Committee member of the higher education sector, Hong Kong Baptist University Department of Political Science and International Relations Associate Professor Kenneth Chen said in an interview with the Voice of America, the new election system under the “Candidacy Review Committee” and other screening mechanisms, he believes that the desire to participate in the democratic camp, such as “zero “Even if you want to run for election, you must give up the previous pursuit of the idea to have a chance to enter the gate (to get nominated), the entire design of the election system almost exclude all democratic participation, or even liquidation.
Chen Jialuo said: “The democratic camp’s desire to run for office has been as ‘zero’. It should be the entire design, arrangements are intended to tell us to participate in the Hong Kong election of various democratic parties, or organizations know that it is not possible to enter the gate (to get nominated), unless you want to all the things that have been said before, written party platform or political platform above the said, there is anything it (the authorities) think is unsatisfactory, you have to put it aside completely, that review, that suppression, is equivalent to call a group of people, some organizations completely deny their past. Some organizations completely deny their past, as well as once pursued, fought for, and even resisted a series of things about Hong Kong people, so I think this whole arrangement is a big liquidation of some steps.”
Chan Ka-lok said the candidate eligibility check is mainly aimed at China’s national security, and he questioned whether a candidate who is deemed ineligible to run for the election would be considered to have violated Hong Kong’s national security law and would be imprisoned before trial, a distortion that he believes would deter pro-democracy candidates from running in the election.
If he is not qualified, he will start to ask this question, because the whole thing is not transparent and will not tell you publicly why it is not qualified, so will it be related to national security? Now we really see that, after the big raid, the risk of these individuals is totally disproportionately high compared to the past, so how can you imagine that traditional democrats, individual political groups, or organizations, or individuals have any intention to participate in such a distorted and disfigured so-called election? How can you imagine that the traditional democrats, individual political groups, organizations, or individuals would have any intention to participate in such a distorted and disfigured election?
It is better to ban blank votes than to have equal number of votes
Chan described the government as “asking for trouble” by banning incitement to cast a blank vote, reflecting the fact that the government knows that this amendment to the electoral system is unpopular, and that he thinks Beijing should have a quota election in which each candidate is automatically elected.
Chen said: “The government is very ‘head scar’ (trouble), miserable if those people vote white, invalid votes, do not vote and how? Since you have made such a mess, you have to intercept people’s different ways to express their opinions freely, this is asking for trouble. You do so only one conclusion, it will always be a quota election, please, no need to elect, each (candidate) automatically elected. Just good, 90 Legislative Council members on 90 candidates, after speaking, there is no need for us to bother, vote do not even have to vote.”
Chan Ka-lok estimated that the Legislative Council elections held in December this year, the turnout rate may hit a record low, he also believes that the Hong Kong government either prohibit white votes, or amend the election regulations to force voters to come out to vote, will not be able to reverse the new electoral system is not generally recognized by the people of Hong Kong.
Chen Jialuo said: “When the so-called election rules are so uncertain, full of a lot of manipulation, adjustment, that is, by the core of power to manipulate, the core of power to adjust, that is, when you are targeting our different people to participate, said you do not want to manipulate the election, affect the election fairness, in fact, the biggest originator is the government, the regime to manipulate the process of that election, as well as Election results, to ensure that they speak their interests, or their various concerns about face or whatever, is the biggest security factor, so you will be Hong Kong people excluded.”
Hong Kong’s Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Tsang Kwok-wai said at a press conference on Tuesday, noting that there are attempts to organize the community to incite others not to vote or cast blank ballots, described as an act to undermine the election and reduce the credibility of the election, and therefore to regulate, not the government’s lack of confidence in the turnout.
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