Hong Kong election: protesters and supporters move battleground to Legislative Council – but will they be blocked?

Political pundits have suggested that, under the new security law, opposition hopefuls could more easily be denied a chance to run for office

This is the second in a three-part series looking at the build-up to the coming Legislative Council elections

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Political pundits have suggested that, under the new security law, opposition hopefuls could more easily be denied a chance to run for office. Illustration: Brian Wang

Published: 8:00am, 30 Jul 2020Updated: 3:42pm, 30 Jul 2020

After sweeping district level elections last year, members of Hong Kong’s opposition camp now have their eyes set on the Legislative Council polls slated for September.

With the bloc taking control of 17 out of the 18 local councils, that victory has convinced many that their chances at Legco could be as promising. Their success at the district council elections was attributed to the support of the protest movement.

An earlier check by the Post found that 210 of 392 opposition winners in the district council elections were first-time contenders, a sizeable number of whom either took part in or backed the anti-government protests.

With these new political aspirants joining their allies in a fight for control over a legislature historically dominated by the pro-establishment camp, the city is bracing for the battleground to shift from the streets to polling stations.

“This is the first time the pro-democracy camp actually stands a chance to win half of the seats in the Legislative Council,” said Democratic Party chairman Wu Chi-wai, who is seeking re-election in the Kowloon East geographical constituency.

Calling it “a fight between the government and its people”, Wu said the administration’s missteps in handling last year’s civil unrest helped fuel the opposition.

Wu Chi-wai, chairman of the Democratic Party, has called the Legislative Council elections a fight between ‘the government and its people’. Photo: Reuters