Political situation
Author: Zheng Rongdi
2020-07-29 13:27
Last update date: 2020-07-29 13:28Under the impact of the third wave of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, it is reported that the government has decided to postpone the election of the Legislative Council in September, and is expected to postpone the "resumption" for a year. Former member He Junyao, former Legislative Council Chairman Jasper Tsang, and even the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Tan Yaozong, have recently asked the government to postpone the election. Now there is a great chance of "successfully fighting."
Some organizations believe that it is reasonable to postpone the election, and emphasize that handling the epidemic and protecting the health of the public takes precedence over the election. They also pointed out that if they insist on voting in September this year, it will be unfair to more than 100,000 citizens who have long lived in the Mainland and cannot return to Hong Kong to vote.
Liang Zhixiang: Isolation on the 14th deterred Hong Kong residents from the Mainland
Liang Zhixiang, a member of the DAB Legislative Council who was originally scheduled to hand over this session, pointed out that the new wave of epidemic has not been brought under control, and the government cannot guarantee that it can vote as usual in early September. If it is only postponed for one or two months, no matter whether the candidates, Voters bring uncertainty, affecting publicity and voting intentions.
He mentioned that holding elections after the epidemic has eased will have the opportunity to increase the desire of Hong Kong residents in the Mainland to return to Hong Kong to vote. As far as he knows, many Hong Kong residents have returned to the Mainland for refuge. He pointed out that there are currently more than 100,000 Hong Kong people living in the Mainland. The government has the responsibility to find a way to solve the voting problem and prevent some people from losing their voting rights. "If returning to Hong Kong to vote requires 14-day isolation, many people will be deterred. It is unfair to create obstacles." .
Regarding the pan-pop critics’ criticism that the postponement of the election is "saving the election through the epidemic", especially for allowing Hong Kong people from the Mainland to return to Hong Kong to vote, Leung Zhixiang pointed out that in theory, Hong Kong people living in the Mainland may be more supportive of the establishment, but even if the entry and exit restrictions are relaxed, "100,000 People are only a minority of the more than 4 million voters in Hong Kong, and not all will return to Hong Kong to vote."
The Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Tsang Kwok-wai, once said that the authorities are considering many voters living in the Mainland for long periods and are negotiating with the Mainland regarding voting arrangements. However, the Bureau does not keep statistics on Hong Kong residents living overseas or in the Mainland. According to statistics from the Census and Statistics Department, as of mid-2019, the number of Hong Kong residents who usually stay in Guangdong Province is about 540,000, of which 129,000 are Hong Kong residents.
Liang Zhixiang was originally scheduled to hand over the club and no longer seek re-election to the Legislative Council. (Profile picture / Photo by Yu Junliang)
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Deng Jiabiao: Anti-epidemic priority is given to elections
Deng Jiabiao, the Federation of Trade Unions, who has signed up to run for the direct elections in Kowloon East, said that he agreed with the postponement of the elections, describing that "the fight against the epidemic is the first priority, and election politics is on the side."
The New Democrat Party chairman Ye Liu Shuyi pointed out that if the election is really held next year, it is hard to say whether it will be more beneficial to the establishment of elections. It depends on the social environment. "If the overall environment does not change, a year's postponement will only accumulate grievances. "As for whether the New Democrats will redraw the electoral list a year later, she said that at this stage, no hypothetical issues are considered.
Lin Ruihua won the support of the Civic Party in the catering industry. (Photo by Ou Jiale / Profile Picture)
Civic Party Lin Ruihua: Suppress the Epidemic
Lin Ruihua, the Civic Party who has signed up for the catering industry functional constituency, said that the postponement of the election for one year is "political suppression in the name of epidemic prevention." He pointed out that if the authorities were to prevent the epidemic, they could extend the voting time, increase the number of voting stations or vote in different time slots, criticizing the government for not trying its best to solve the problem.
Lin Ruihua pointed out that although the postponement of the incident may accumulate public grievances, it is only beneficial to directly elected seats. The situation of functional constituencies is different. Under the epidemic, the industry has a higher voice for substitution. He said that if the government continues to provide no subsidies to the catering industry under the current law restricting gatherings and banning dine-in meals, it is estimated that 70% of restaurants will close within one month. It is even more difficult to estimate the closure of restaurants and the number of voters a year later. At that time, will I have to re-register as a voter?" It is difficult for him to judge which camp of voters will be affected by the restaurant closure wave. "Everyone will hold a hat regardless of their home." He described that the postponement made the election situation in this sector even more uncertain.
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Legislative Council election 2020 DAB New Democratic Party Carrie Lam
