ExplainerHaven’t been following Hong Kong’s Legislative Council election campaigns, or don’t really care? Here’s what you still need to know, and why
- Under a newly altered political landscape, Sunday’s poll is unprecedented for the legislature and will have implications on how the city is governed
- The Post examines five key questions surrounding the race
Hong Kong’s Legislative Council election on Sunday will be its first under a Beijing overhaul of the political system to ensure only “patriots” can govern the city.
A total of 153 hopefuls are vying for 90 seats in the expanded Legco after being cleared by the Candidate Eligibility Review Committee, a powerful vetting body set up to screen aspirants for national security risks.
The city’s mainstream opposition parties – many of their leaders already behind bars – are sitting out the race, with the bloc saying the design of the poll was aimed at stifling dissent.
Amid such an unprecedented political landscape for Hong Kong, the Post looks at five key questions:
1. What exactly happened to the electoral system?
Following the chaos and violence of the anti-government protests that rocked the city in 2019, and the initial “35-plus” strategy touted by the opposition camp to wrest control of Legco by winning a majority of seats, Beijing in March rolled out a revamp of the system to ensure only “patriots” can hold office.