All eyes on Hong Kong district council elections on eve of race perceived as barometer for how city feels about protest crisis
- The polls, held in the midst of an unrest now into its sixth month, will have knock-on effects on the legislative elections next year
- Some 1,090 candidates will contest in 452 constituencies, the first time that all seats are up for grabs
A record 4.1 million Hongkongers are due to vote on Sunday in a keenly watched election whose outcome analysts say could exert pressure on the city’s government to find new ways to resolve the ongoing political crisis, including setting up an independent inquiry into the protests.
After nearly six months of unrelenting conflict, the elections – which are for the lowest tier of the administration – are seen as a barometer of support for the anti-government protest movement and de facto referendum on Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and her team.
While district councils have been heavily dominated by her allies in the pro-Beijing camp, expectations are high that voters could side with more pan-democrats this time and send Lam a clear signal of how they view her government.
As Hong Kong enjoyed a rare respite from chaotic protests for the fourth day in a row on Saturday, young voters were mobilising online, urging their peers to vote in the morning, rather than wait until later in the day as in previous elections.
