Latest news with #ElectionCommittee
HKFP
13-08-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
28 candidates to contest ‘patriots only' by-elections for seats on body choosing Hong Kong's top leader, gov't says
The Hong Kong government has announced that 28 candidates will be competing in next month's 'patriots only' by-elections for the 21 seats on the powerful electoral body that chooses the city's top leader. The Registration and Electoral Office's announcement on Tuesday also confirmed media reports that 72 candidates – or 77 per cent of the Election Committee's by-election seats – would be uncontested. Those nominees, facing no competition, are expected to be automatically elected. The remaining 28 candidates will compete for 21 seats in six subsectors — Commercial (Third), Architectural, Surveying, Planning and Landscape, Technology and Innovation, Labour, as well as representatives from three government-appointed committees. The Candidate Eligibility Review Committee said on Monday that 100 candidates nominated for the September 7 polls had passed a national security screening to compete for the 93 seats on the Election Committee. Five polling stations will be set up on September 7, the day of the by-elections, opening from 9am to 6pm, according to the Tuesday statement. The Electoral Affairs Commission will hold a briefing session on Monday to allow candidates to familiarise themselves with the electoral arrangements and 'to ensure that the By-elections will be conducted in an open, fair and honest manner.' According to voter registration figures updated last month, there are 8,877 registered voters for the Election Committee polls, down from 257,992 in 2020. The 117 Election Committee seats held by district councillors were removed in the 2021 electoral overhaul, following the pro-democracy camp's landslide victory in the 2019 district council elections, held amid the anti-extradition bill protests. The Election Committee gained new powers after Hong Kong overhauled its electoral system in 2021, expanding the body's size from 1,200 to 1,500 members and allowing it to nominate and directly elect 40 of the 90 seats in LegCo. Besides having a hand in nominating and electing the chief executive, candidates filling the 93 vacancies next month will also have the power to influence the upcoming Legislative Council elections on December 7. In a separate announcement, the government announced on Wednesday that the nomination period for the LegCo elections would begin on October 24 and last two weeks, ending on November 6. The current term of the legislature will be dissolved once the nomination period begins. In March 2021, Beijing passed legislation to ensure 'patriots' govern Hong Kong. The move reduced democratic representation in the legislature, tightened control of elections and introduced a pro-Beijing vetting panel to select candidates. The Hong Kong government said the overhaul would ensure the city's stability and prosperity. But the changes also prompted international condemnation, as it makes it near-impossible for pro-democracy candidates to stand.
HKFP
12-08-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
100 candidates pass nat. security vetting for Election Committee by-elections in Hong Kong
A total of 100 candidates have passed a national security screening to contest next month's Election Committee by-elections in Hong Kong, where they will compete for 93 seats on the powerful body that elects the city's leader. The Candidate Eligibility Review Committee – led by Chief Secretary Eric Chan – announced on Monday that the nominations of 100 candidates for the September 7 polls had been validated. One candidate was disqualified after passing away during the nomination period. Hong Kong authorities introduced a candidate vetting mechanism in 2021 as part of a sweeping overhaul to ensure only 'patriots' hold power in the city. The process begins with a police assessment of the candidate, followed by a decision from the Committee for Safeguarding National Security – which comprises top officials and an adviser from Beijing – on whether the candidate upholds the Basic Law and bears allegiance to Hong Kong. The Candidate Eligibility Review Committee then follows this opinion to determine whether the candidate's nomination is valid. It is estimated that nearly 80 per cent of the 93 vacancies across 28 sectors will be uncontested. The government projected in February that the polls would cost HK$233 million. Winners next month will get a say in the Legislative Council elections in December – a new power given to the committee after the 2021 overhaul. The revamp also saw the Election Committee expanded from 1,200 to 1,500 members. Separately, 10 new members will join the Election Committee through supplementary nominations by designated bodies, meaning no public polls will be held for these seats. The Candidate Eligibility Review Committee said there were 11 nominees in this category. Since designated bodies had indicated their preferred candidates, 10 were vetted and approved, while the eligibility of the remaining nominee was left undetermined. According to the voter registration statistics updated last month, the Election Committee subsectors have a total of 8,877 registered voters, including 5,567 group voters and 3,310 individual voters. The number dropped from 257,992 in 2020, as many individual voters, such as teachers, were no longer allowed to cast their ballots. Instead, they were represented by corporate voters. In March 2021, Beijing passed legislation to ensure 'patriots' govern Hong Kong. The move reduced democratic representation in the legislature, tightened control of elections and introduced a pro-Beijing vetting panel to select candidates. The Hong Kong government said the overhaul would ensure the city's stability and prosperity. But the changes also prompted international condemnation, as it makes it near-impossible for pro-democracy candidates to stand.
HKFP
09-08-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
HKFP Monitor August 9, 2025: Ex-protester drops case against ban on overseas study; HK$233-million by-elections largely uncontested
Welcome back to HKFP Monitor. This week: A former protester dropped his legal fight against a travel ban that stopped him from studying abroad – a move that may signal Hong Kong authorities are becoming more cautious about allowing ex-prisoners or people on bail to leave the city. Meanwhile, next month's HK$233 million Election Committee by-elections are set to be mostly uncontested, with a pro-establishment commentator saying it's all about avoiding in-house clashes. Also, a diaspora media merger has quickly drawn fire from Beijing-backed press, and a lawmaker has walked back his comments after publicly accusing a minister of 'threatening' him over the controversial same-sex partnerships bill. University of Hong Kong graduate To Kai-wa, jailed for five and a half years in 2021 for biting a police officer's finger during a 2019 protest, has dropped his legal challenge against a post-release order barring him from studying in the UK. To, who was released in October, told local media on Tuesday that he had withdrawn his judicial review against the Correctional Services Department's (CSD) decision to reject his April request to study law at the University of Birmingham. Asked why, he said: 'There are many things I cannot answer.' The case highlights growing caution from Hong Kong authorities in allowing released prisoners to travel abroad, following incidents where prominent activists failed to return. The CSD's Supervision Case Review Committee said To had not shown 'sincere remorse' or completed 'rehabilitation and de-radicalisation.' They also flagged his British National (Overseas) passport, warning he could abscond from supervision. The CSD also told To that, if he broke his supervision order, British authorities would not cooperate with extradition. The refusal referenced a recent case in which the British government met with a wanted individual who had breached a supervision order – believed to be pro-independence activist Tony Chung, who fled to the UK in December 2023 after being allowed to travel to Japan. Chung was put on a wanted list in December 2024 for alleged incitement to secession and foreign collusion, with a HK$1 million bounty on his head. Moreover, there is the case of former student leader Agnes Chow, who jumped bail in 2023. After being released from prison in June 2021 for protest-related offences, Chow was still subject to a list of bail conditions because she was arrested in a 2020 national security case involving pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai. Police approved her travel to Canada to study on the condition that she first visit Shenzhen with them and write letters praising the 'great development of the motherland.' She left in September 2023 but refused to return that December as agreed. Police condemned her move as 'challenging the rule of law' and said she would carry the 'fugitive' label for life if she stayed away. An official arrest warrant for Chow was issued in February last year. Hong Kong's powerful Election Committee – the body that picks the city's leader – is set to fill 93 vacancies in by-elections next month, which the government estimated in February will cost HK$233 million. The government said on Monday it had received 101 nominations from 28 sectors. But local media found that 72 seats in 22 sectors – almost 80 per cent of the total – would go uncontested. Those candidates will be automatically elected once they pass national security checks. Pro-establishment commentator Lau Siu-kai told Ming Pao that the short term for the seats won in by-elections – they have to serve only until October 2026 – means few people are interested. He called it an 'elite-type election,' where potential rivals avoid going head to head to prevent friction and keep the pro-Beijing camp united. Winners next month will get a say in the Legislative Council elections in December – a new power given to the committee after a 2021 electoral overhaul. The revamp also saw the committee expanded from 1,200 to 1,500 members. The revamped system, built to ensure only 'patriots' run Hong Kong, has effectively shut out nearly all pro-democracy candidates. Political circles are now buzzing over which of the 90 sitting lawmakers will keep their seats. Some say top government officials may have a say – an unusual twist if true – while pro-Beijing outlets quote unnamed heavyweights claiming Beijing still wants legislators who are 'vocal.' STATE MEDIA MONITOR 'Anti-China' diaspora outlet: Pulse HK, a new digital platform to be launched out of the merger of two Hong Kong diaspora media groups, has become the latest target of Beijing-backed newspaper Ta Kung Pao. In a Monday op-ed, Ta Kung Pao labelled Pulse HK an 'anti-China' platform aiming to spread ideological propaganda against mainland China and Hong Kong. Pulse HK emerged from the merger of The Chaser and Photon Media – both founded overseas after the 2021 national security crackdown that shuttered pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily and independent outlet Stand News. The Chaser was started by ex-Apple Daily reporter Shirley Leung in Taiwan in 2023, while Photon Media, launched in the UK in 2022, is run by veteran Hong Kong journalists. Wu Lik-hon – former head of RFA's Cantonese unit, which recently halted service due to funding cuts by US President Donald Trump – will become Pulse HK's editor in chief. Last week, Pulse HK announced a crowdfunding campaign aiming to raise HK$4 million to build a 16- to 18-person team across Taiwan, the UK, and North America, targeting 4,000 subscribers in its first year. Ta Kung Pao questioned the merger's timing, claiming Pulse HK is trying to 'integrate public opinion forces' for an 'upcoming confrontation.' The op-ed accused the outlet of planning to publish biased reporting, doctored images, and smear campaigns to undermine Hong Kong's progress. At a press conference last week, Wu said the journalists, despite being away for years, remain deeply connected to Hong Kong. Co-founder Edward Li, formerly with Apple Daily, called for diaspora media to unite and pool their strengths. Leung added, 'In these dark times, with press freedom collapsing, we want to be a ray of light.' When asked if he was worried about being labelled as engaging in 'soft resistance,' Wu said Pulse HK does not promote any political agenda and aims to be a neutral news organisation. Legislator backtracks after fiery Facebook post: The Hong Kong government's proposal to register same-sex partnerships has sparked rare pushback from the city's 'all-patriots' legislature since the bill was tabled last month. Officials want it passed by October to meet a 2023 Court of Final Appeal deadline, but some conservative lawmakers stand firm in opposing it. Tensions between the executive and legislative branches hit a new high last week when Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (FTU) chairperson Stanley Ng publicly blasted Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang, the bill's lead advocate. In a Facebook post on the late evening of July 31, Ng said he had met Tsang that morning and that the minister had 'almost begged' and 'threatened' him to ensure 'safe passage' of 'his bill' – without naming which one. Ng claimed Tsang warned he would 'bear the consequences' if he refused, but stressed the FTU's position 'would not be swayed.' 'I urge him to save his breath!' Ng added. Around two hours later, Ng edited the post – visible in the edit history – removing Tsang's name. He still alleged facing 'threats' and kept the 'save his breath' line, but left the source vague. The following afternoon, Ng apologised to Tsang on Facebook, admitting his earlier remarks 'went too far' and saying he respected Tsang's 'dedication and sense of responsibility.' Hong Kong was drenched on Tuesday as record rainfall saw the black rainstorm warning raised for the fourth time in a week – a first in the city's history. Torrential downpours triggered flash floods and landslides, causing part of Bride's Pool Road in Tai Po to collapse. Authorities fielded over 480 calls for help, a quarter of them flood-related, while more than 30 trees were brought down. expect more extreme weather due to the impact of climate change.
HKFP
06-08-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
Almost 80% of Hong Kong's Election Committee by-elections uncontested
Nearly 80 per cent of the 93 vacancies in Hong Kong's Election Committee – which nominates and selects the city's leader – will see no competition in next month's by-elections. During the nomination period from July 22 to Monday, the government received 101 nominations for the 93 vacancies across 28 sectors, according to a statement issued on Monday. The by-elections will be held on September 7. Local media reported on Tuesday that 72 seats across 22 sectors will be uncontested, with nominees expected to be automatically elected after passing a national security vetting. The six sectors where competition will take place include Commercial (Third), Architectural, Surveying, Planning and Landscape, Technology and Innovation, Labour, as well as representatives from three government-appointed committees in Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories, according to HK01. Ming Pao reported that 25 nominees were district councillors, with the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) – the city's largest pro-establishment party – fielding the most candidates. The Election Committee gained significant powers after Hong Kong overhauled its electoral system in 2021. Its size expanded from 1,200 to 1,500 members, and it was granted new authority to nominate lawmakers and directly elect 40 out of the 90 seats in the Legislative Council. Nominees who fill the 93 vacancies next month will have the power to influence the upcoming Legislative Council election in December. The committee is also responsible for nominating and electing the chief executive. According to the voter registration statistics updated last month, the Election Committee subsectors have a total of 8,877 registered voters, including 5,567 group voters and 3,310 individual voters. The number dropped from 257,992 in 2020, as many individual voters, such as teachers, were no longer allowed to cast their ballots. Instead, they were represented by corporate voters. Previously, District Councils held 117 seats on the Election Committee. However, these were removed in the 2021 electoral overhaul, following the pro-democracy camp's sweeping victory in 17 out of 18 District Councils during the 2019 elections, held amid the extradition bill protests. The elections were the last fully democratic race in the city. In March 2021, Beijing passed legislation to ensure 'patriots' govern Hong Kong. The move reduced democratic representation in the legislature, tightened control of elections and introduced a pro-Beijing vetting panel to select candidates. The Hong Kong government said the overhaul would ensure the city's stability and prosperity. But the changes also prompted international condemnation, as it makes it near-impossible for pro-democracy candidates to stand.
The Star
05-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
National security offenders to be disqualified from Hong Kong's Legco elections
Hong Kong authorities have proposed disqualifying anyone convicted of offences endangering national security from being nominated to run in a Legislative Council election or serving as a lawmaker. The Electoral Affairs Commission said a public consultation for the proposed guidelines, which include several changes related to national security, was launched on Thursday and would wrap up on August 1. The proposals were shared months before the next Legco election on December 7, the second to be held since the process was overhauled to follow a 'patriots only' system. The changes include the disqualification of anyone convicted of offences that endanger national security from being nominated or elected as a lawmaker, in adherence to the city's existing national security legislation. Members of the Election Committee who are convicted of the same offences are also barred from voting in the polls for the Election Committee constituency. Election candidates will also be prohibited from sending by mail any publications that constitute a national security risk. 'In relation to national security, we only reflect what has been reflected in the relevant legislation,' commission chairman David Lok Kai-hong said. 'So, if there is any amendment because of a change in the national security [laws], it also has corresponding changes in our election law as well as in relation to the qualification of a person running for the seat or [being] qualified to be a councillor. 'So in such a case, I don't think we have made any substantial changes.' Asked if the proposed guidelines covered national security offenders who had completed their sentences, Lok only said that the laws had been written very clearly and urged the public to look at the terms of the relevant legislation. The Registration and Electoral Office, meanwhile, discussed promotional efforts for the coming election and said they would be widespread and take reference from the 2023 district council poll. 'We hope to be able to raise the election atmosphere; we are currently going through the preparation work,' said Natalie Chan, the body's chief electoral officer. In a paper submitted to Legco's Finance Committee in April, the government said it planned to spend HK$1.28 billion (US$163 million) on the coming election. Authorities aimed to allocate HK$177 million for promotional efforts, HK$814 million for technological appliances and voting venues' rents and HK$289 million for paying an expected 37,000 personnel, according to the paper. The planned budget represents a 52 per cent increase from the HK$841 million spent on the 2021 Legco election, which had a turnout of only 30.2 per cent – the lowest since the city's return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. Chan added that authorities had completed their purchase of electronic vote-counting machines for the Legco functional constituency election, with the cost expected to be about HK$160 million. She said the high cost accounted for hiring service contractors to design the system, software, hardware and support services. Authorities also needed a large amount of vote-counting equipment, as the poll would involve about 200,000 voters, while the sum included expenses for on-site support staff to tackle any potential equipment issues during the vote count, she said. But Lok said authorities had yet to decide on whether they would use the machines for the constituency poll, noting the decision would depend on further testing. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
