Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam questions value of political opposition that doesn’t contest elections, insists city’s system still open to differences of opinion

Chief executive reacts day after pro-Beijing veteran Lo Man-tuen warned the Democratic Party not to boycott polls

Group’s chairman says loss of district councillors has hampered its efforts to mobilise, questions how a leader who divided city hasn’t resigned

Reading Time:3 minutes

People queue at the polling station in Aberdeen Sports Centre to vote in the district council election in 2019. Photo: May Tse

Published: 4:47pm, 24 Aug 2021Updated: 2:06pm, 8 Sep 2021

Hong Kong’s leader said it would be strange for opposition parties not to run in elections, adding the city’s political system remained inclusive even after Beijing’s drastic overhaul.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor questioned the point of a political party’s existence if it did not fully participate in the electoral process, a day after pro-Beijing veteran Lo Man-tuen warned the Democratic Party, the city’s largest opposition political group, not to boycott coming polls.

Lo, a vice-chairman of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, said the party should continue to take part as usual, or at least allow members to run for elections.

“The Democratic Party’s way out is to eliminate its anti-Communist beliefs, and to take part in elections as usual … If it bans members from participating in polls, there’s only a dead end for it,” he wrote in the Ming Pao newspaper.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam. Photo: Nora Tam

Asked on Tuesday if she agreed with Lo, Lam said her understanding was that a political party existed “to comment on or take part in politics”.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x