Record Low Turnout for "Patriots-Only" District Council Election

Voter turnout at 27.5 percent, with a computer glitch near end

The day after the District Council elections, the government and the liaison office insisted the "patriots-only" election was "a success in improving governance structure", and that it was a "real, functioning democracy", even though there was a record low turnout.

Of the 4.33 million registered voters, only 1,193,193 or 27.5 percent came out. However, of those who voted, 22,045 residents cast blank votes which were invalid, representing 1.85 percent of the overall figure. This compares to 0.56 percent invalid votes four years ago, when 71. 2 percent of voters came out during the height of the 2019 protests.

Most of the voters this year were the elderly who were bussed in, as well as public servants who had to cast ballots.

Ip says "extending hours was completely useless"

Despite the low participating figures, Beijing claimed the election implemented the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong".

"The district councils have restored their proper nature and functions, freeing the election from politicisation, populism, and pragmatically focusing on solving real problems in the community," the State Council's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said in a statement.

"Residents can deeply feel that the elections are related to their interests and that this is real, functioning democracy."

How about a "functioning democracy" with Chinese characteristics? Pro-democracy candidates were barred from running, even centrist pro-establishment parties could not get enough nominations.

Nevertheless, some pro-Beijng lawmakers were not pleased with the turnout, like Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, founder and chairperson of the New People's Party.

There was a computer system glitch two hours before voting was supposed to finish, so in a bid to get more voters in, the time was extended by another 90 minutes past midnight.

Ip said afterwards "extending hours was completely useless", the extra one and a half did not yield a significant uptick in voters.

But Tam Yiu-chung, vice president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau said the election turnout was in line with expectations.

He claimed residents cared more about the Legislative Council elections than District Council ones, and that people were out of town so they couldn't cast ballots.

However, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu hailed it as a "high-quality" election, but surely there are questions as to why so much money was spent on getting people to vote but the end result was so few.

Was the turnout really in line with expectations? The spinning will continue for days to come...

Hong Kong's First "Patriots-Only" Election

As of 4.30pm the red line shows this year's vote versus 2019

In case you didn't know, Hong Kong is having its District Council elections in today. 

Everywhere there are constant reminders for people to vote, from posters and billboards to advertisements on radio, television and online. 

However, the Hong Kong government might have to conduct a post mortem to find out what happened because so far the turnout is significantly lower than in 2019.

As of 2.30pm, 15.47 percent of the 4.33 million registered voters have cast their ballots in the "patriots-only" race. Meanwhile at the same time four years ago,  71.2 percent of voters turned out, giving the pro-democratic camp a massive landslide victory.

But this year only those candidates who passed background checks and received nominations from pro-government committees were allowed to run this time.

Nevertheless, how to explain to Beijing the projected low voter turnout?

Was it because Hongkongers went across the border to Shenzhen for some rest and relaxation? Too busy stimulating the city's economy with Christmas shopping? Or got too caught up taking free public transit all over Hong Kong?

Oh update -- as of 4.30pm, 19.19 percent of registered voters have done their civic duty, compared to 71.23 percent in 2019. There are projections there could be a 26 percent turnout...

HK Police to Patrol Buses

Starting next week officers will board buses to prevent crime

The Hong Kong Police are flexing their muscles with a new trial to have officers on buses to catch any nefarious activities on public transport ahead of the District Council elections next month.

Officers will get on buses in the Kowloon West district free of charge, stand in the wheelchair area and monitor what's going on.

"They will board buses at different stops to patrol them, paying attention to passengers and identifying any suspicious objects," said a source familiar with the police operation.

Not many crimes are committed on buses

"If necessary, officers may ask the bus driver to pull over and request the person in question to leave the vehicle for further investigation," he added.

The officers will carry standard equipment such as firearms, a retractable baton and a body camera, as well as a mobile phone that can scan identity cards. Police officers will be deployed from divisions such as Tsim Sha Tsui, Yau Ma Tei, Mong Kok, Sham Shui Po, Cheung Sha Wan, Hung Hom and Kowloon City.

"The objective of extending police presence to public buses is to deter criminal activity and respond promptly to any incidents that may occur," the source said.

However the person did admit not many criminal cases happen on buses, but that there had been cases of bus drivers facing abuse from passengers, though it wasn't too serious. They also won't board crowded buses, or during rush hour.

In a video posted on the Facebook page of the Mong Kok police district, an officer says: "In addition to street patrols, police will soon conduct bus patrols. The objective is to prevent crimes, maintain public order, and ensure public safety."

It is hoped police presence will deter crime

The video goes on to say: "If you see police officers on the bus, please don't be surprised."

Thanks for the warning.

But why bother patrolling buses when the crime rate is low on them? Seems a bit overboard, or a make-work project.

How about the officers do an exchange and come to Vancouver to patrol the buses here? There are many passengers who just walk on and don't even pay the bus fare. There are many incidents of people hurling abuses at others, or even assault passengers and bus drivers!

Seem to make more sense for the Hong Kong Police to conduct their trial here and make a real difference in public transit safety...

HK Reveals Homophobic Colours Ahead of Gay Games

The Gay Games have finally opened in Hong Kong

After being postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic and difficulty in securing venues because of Hong Kong government bureaucracy, the Gay Games have finally kicked off, but still not without controversy.

In the days leading up to the Games opening on November 5, some pro-Beijing legislators who were anti-LGBTQ, called for the event to be cancelled on national security grounds, and that politician Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee should resign because she would officiate the opening.

Seven lawmakers against the Games

One of them, the bombastic Junius Ho Kwan-yiu, even sent a letter to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, saying the Gay Games promotes same-sex marriage in Hong Kong, and this must be stopped.

There was no response.

"We object to any Western ideology that sugar-coated its agenda in the name of diversity and inclusivity for a sports event, attempting to subvert national security," he said in a press conference with six other homophobic lawmakers.

Ho said the event was a "criminal activity" that spread the ideology of gay rights, subverting traditional Chinese family values.

Others like Equal Opportunities Commission Josiah Chok Kin-ming called for the authorities to investigate whether the Games' source of funding came from foreign organisations and amounted to collusion with external forces prohibited under the national security law.

Ip hit back, calling their claims "ridiculous" and confirmed she would officiate the opening.

Ip officiated the opening of the Games

"If there is firm evidence that the Gay Games are in breach of national security laws, the police would have taken action," said Ip, who was a former security chief. 

"I suspect the timing of the attacks are politically motivated, to smear my district council [election] candidates, one of whom has been harassed on-street because of my support for the Gay Games."

Not just one has been harassed, Paul Lui Yau-tak, but all 29 of the New People's Party candidates running in the upcoming District Council election on December 10.

Interestingly, while Ip supports the Gay Games, she does not support same-sex marriage in Hong Kong as a 2013 Final Appeal ruling says the definition of marriage under the Basic Law did not include same-sex unions. 

Meanwhile Games co-chair Lisa Lam said the event had never deviated from the principle of promoting diversity and unity, and demonstrated to the world that Hong Kong was an inclusive city open for business.

"Everyone is entitled to have their own opinions," she said. "They can say what they want."

Just a polite way of saying, can we just have our Games and be done with it already?

It's so complicated, but basically, what a mess. 

Patriotic Candidates Need Only Apply

The District Council Election is Dec 10

The Hong Kong District Council elections will be held on December 10 and the candidates have been decided.

Since the rules for these elections have been overhauled, only "patriots" are eligible. 

In order to qualify, hopefuls had to get nine nominations from area committees by Monday Hong Kong time. 

Lee says only patriots qualify to run in electon

That resulted in 171 candidates vying for 88 directly-elected seats in 44 constituencies. Some 4.3 million people are eligible to vote.

"The purpose is to select the best people... You have to convince the public and ensure they agree you are qualified and competent to serve the district," Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said.

"Those securing the nominations should be capable people who truly love their country and Hong Kong."

Perhaps that explains why none of the six hopefuls from the Democratic Party got any nominations?

Even pro-establishment lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun's Roundtable Party had only one of five get enough nominations to become a candidate.

Nevertheless, Lee claimed the system was fair regardless of their background.

"I think that is the most important, the system has to be fair and applies to everybody in the same way," he said. 

All six of Lo's party hopefuls were shut out

"That is the most important principle for all elections to be considered -- fair and equal application. A candidate will have to respect the decision of the person he seeks the nomination from... it is up to you to ensure that you can convince the person you want to convince."

Keep in mind the main role of district councillors is to talk to residents in the area about making roads safer in the neighbourhood by proposing more stop lights or crosswalks be added, help residents with any bureaucratic problems they face, or suggest more green spaces for residents to enjoy.

Back in 2019 Hongkongers used the District Council elections as a referendum on the government's handling of the protests because they had no other way to voice their concerns.

And now four years later the government is using these elections to ensure only select voices are heard.

A friend wrote on social media about being surprised no representatives from the Democratic Party or "centrist" party could become candidates, because if they lost, they would lose more face in an election than being disqualified.

However, it seems Lee or rather Beijing wants to ensure nothing goes wrong December 10 and only have sure winners.

But perhaps more telling will be the voter turnout...

Ming Pao to Stop Publishing Zunzi Cartoons

Ming Pao ends its 40-year run publishing Zunzi cartoons

The Hong Kong government has a thin skin when it comes to cartoons satirising its policies, and this has led to Ming Pao ending its 40-year association with cartoonist Zunzi. The Chinese newspaper announced it would end running the political cartoons on May 14.

Zunzi, whose real name is Wong Kei-kwan, contributed two daily cartoons to the paper, one of a single illustration, the other a three-panel comic strip. They mostly poked fun at current affairs, and it seems since John Lee Ka-chiu became Chief Executive last July, he and his administration have criticised the cartoons.

On district council overhaul

Most recently, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen slammed a cartoon published on Tuesday that referred to the city's district council overhaul. It depicted a man telling a woman that representatives would be selected "as long as their superior deems them suitable", even if they failed all exams and health checks.

Mak, who is involved in the overhaul, said the cartoon was "distortive" and "unethical", and accused Wong of smearing the government's reputation.

Earlier Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung condemned another cartoon by Wong, claiming he made misleading accusations and fostered public ill will against the authorities.

The cartoon depicted two people speculating that the government was actually reserving HK$20 billion (US$2.5 billion) from its budget to build prisons and hire correctional staff to target the public, after the authorities announced they would spend HK$5.2 billion to upgrade the police's information system in the coming year.

Wong declined to comment on why Ming Pao cut him loose. 

"The incident is part of the current 'Hong Kong story' in which people can see and feel, not the one the officials are talking about," Wong said, referring to the pledge by the government to promote a positive account of the city.

Zunzi says he will continue creating cartoons

He said he would continue to create cartoons but did not elaborate on which platform he would use. 

"There are various forms of creation. I appreciate other creators expressing their opinions in the ways they are good at and I will learn from them," Wong added.

Ming Pao said in a statement that said in part: "Ming Pao thanks Zunzi for witnessing the changing times with us over the past 40 years."

The paper's Ming Pao Staff Association expressed regret the artist's columns would no longer be featured in the publication.

"Apart from news reporting, the works of columnists are also part of the core value of Ming Pao. A diversified society should be inclusive of different voices," it wrote in a statement.

"We hope all sectors of the community will respect freedom of speech and protect the core values of Ming Pao, while maintaining social justice and kindness."

Zunzi's cartoon on Xi's plans for Hong Kong

Wong is no stranger to controversy, having riled up at least five government departments, including the police and Security Bureau. His cartoons were once banned in Macau and Singapore more than 20 years ago.

In an interview with AFP in 2000, Wong said "jokes can be very dangerous".

"The powerful try to... make the masses believe there is no one else but them to follow," he said.

"Jokes can quickly pierce through all this and nail the lies. They can drag the powerful down from their thrones."

HK's Drastic District Council Overhaul

There won't be as many ballots to count in new elections

I still remember standing in line, patiently waiting to get into the voting station in Kennedy Town to mark my ballot for the 2019 District Council elections.

After peaceful protests against the proposed extradition bill fell on the government's deaf ears and eyes, and then protesters faced off with the police using guerrilla tactics that resulted in clashes all over the city, Hong Kong residents made their voices heard on November 24, 2019.

Long lines of people waiting to vote in 2019

An unprecedented 2.94 million people out of 4.13 million registered voters cast their votes and the results were overwhelmingly pro-democratic. Seventeen out of the 18 districts turned yellow overnight, completely upending the pro-establishment's belief that the "silent majority" would show up at the ballot box.

The district councillors who were voted in did not have much political power -- they were only focused on the areas they were responsible for, such as suggesting where traffic lights could be installed, improving garbage disposal, and rounding up sweaters and thermoses for the elderly. But it was the symbolism of how the election was seen as a referendum on the protests.

Nevertheless, the results infuriated Beijing and in 2021 the government introduced an oath-taking requirement, where district councillors had to pledge allegiance to the city. This led to their mass resignation, and now only one-third of the 18 districts still have elected representatives.

Residents celebrate 2019 results of DC elections

But not to worry -- the government has overhauled how district councillors are chosen, and the vast majority will not be voted in anymore. Only 20 percent will be picked via the ballot box, compared to 90 percent four years ago.

The 20 percent is even lower than in the 1980s when the district councils were set up when Hong Kong was under the British.

The rest of the 470 seats will be filled by government appointees, rural committee chairpersons, and others elected by local committees that are staffed by pro-establishment figures.

This is Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu's method of overhauling the system.

"I do not agree that pure counting [of] election votes mean democracy," he said. "Different places have their own systems that must take into consideration of all the characteristics and all the elements of that place."

Lee (centre) says only 20 percent of seats elected

What does that even mean?

Hong Kong residents exercised their right to vote at the time and those were the results. Lo Kin-hei, chairman of the Democratic Party, says the public will be disappointed by the drastic drop in the number of elected seats, which will result in fewer people willing to run for district councillor.

Will this overhaul help the city improve its living conditions for its residents with these appointed officials, or is the exercise to show Beijing how politically correct Hong Kong has become?