Will Hong Kong’s district council elections be postponed? Officials watching if protest violence persists, but decision might be pushed to polling day on November 24
- Source says government may invite accusations it is suppressing voting rights if it cancels elections too early
- Pro-democracy camp, fearing backlash, is gauging right time to urge radicals to reduce violence, while rivals question fairness amid campaign challenges
District council elections as scheduled on November 24 might have to be postponed if the violence and vandalism during recent weekend protests persists in the run-up to polling day, government sources have told the Post.
Officials listed benchmarks, such as the scale and intensity of the mayhem and whether the MTR Corporation would be forced to suspend services, as factors to be considered in determining if elections ought to be delayed.
A government source said the administration was sparing no effort to ensure they would proceed, but there were “practical difficulties” if the coming weeks produced similar levels of violence.
“If voters cannot reach polling stations because of chaos in nearby areas, or if some candidates are surrounded or harassed while canvassing votes, it would call into question the fairness of the elections,” the source said.
But New People’s Party chairwoman Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, who is also an executive councillor, said she believed it was too early to make a call, suggesting that the government had a list of benchmarks. These include whether petrol bombs were thrown into candidates’ offices and polling stations – even as late as on the day itself – to decide whether to postpone the polls.
