Protesters gather around the Kowloon Court in western Hong Kong on the 1st and demand the release of 47 Democrats accused of overthrowing the state regime. Hong Kong = Reuters Yonhap News
China is making major changes to the Hong Kong electoral system. The target is the’legislator’ (former council member), the foundation of grassroots democracy. This is to push the momentum of the democratic camp, which won overwhelming victory in the 2019 election, from the bottom up.
China, under the supervision of the Hong Kong and Macau Office of the State Council, Shaba Olong, who oversees Hong Kong affairs, collected opinions on the reorganization of the Hong Kong election system in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, for two days until the 1st. The agenda to be dealt with at the largest annual political event’Yanghoe’, which opens on the 4th, was coordinated in advance.
On the day of the Hong Kong legislative election held on November 24, 2019, voters flocked in front of the polling place in Taiku, Hong Kong Island, and a line of 1 km stretched along the corner of the building at the intersection. As if reflecting the passion for democratization, the turnout on this day reached a record high of 71%, far exceeding the turnout rate four years ago (47%). Hong Kong = Correspondent Kwang-Soo Kim
More than 60 experts attending this event focused on releasing the power of the Hong Kong councilman. The China Global Times said on the 2nd that △the establishment of a high-level investigation committee for qualification screening for election candidates, △ abolishing the allocation of ward members (117) from the deputies (1,200 members) elected by the administrative minister, △ depoliticization of ward members, etc. It is interpreted with the intention to deprive the congressionals who lead public opinion in the Hong Kong community and block political power.
Civilian Kwon Jin-seon, who ran for Hong Kong’s Sha Tin district in the November 2019 congressional election, smiles and greets the passing voters after interviewing with Bon Bo in the streets near the polling place on the day of the election. Ahead of the election, he was injured by the terror of pro-Chinese forces and put on crutches. Hong Kong = Correspondent Kwang-Soo Kim
The status and role of the 452 lawmakers elected from 18 districts in Hong Kong is different from that of local lawmakers in Korea. Rokinhei of Hong Kong’s largest opposition Democratic Party, and Jimmy Sham, chairman of Civilian Rights Jinseon, a coalition of jailed organizations that have led the protests in Hong Kong, are both incumbent lawmakers. Of the only 70 legislative members of the legislative assembly (our National Assembly), five are council members. In fact, Koo is the key pillar of Hong Kong’s politics and society.
Three weeks before the congressional election in 2019, Hong Kong Democratic candidate Andrew Chiu, who had his left ear bitten by a Chinese man and bandaged it, was in front of a polling place in the post office of Taiku, a regional district on the day of the election, and foreign reporters from the United States, Denmark, and Norway. He is telling them his feelings and determination for the election. Hong Kong = Correspondent Kwang-Soo Kim
On the contrary, it is invisible to the governments of China and Hong Kong. In particular, in the November 2019 election, the pan-democratic camp swept 86% of the seats of the former congressman, and the sense of crisis of the pro-China forces reached its peak. This is the first time that a pro-Chinese party has failed to secure a majority of seats in six elections held over the past 24 years. This is the reason the democratic camp targets the majority of the former legislator elections ahead of the September legislative elections.
In an interview with the Hankook Ilbo the day before, Rep. Oh Wan-ri, a member of the Independent Democratic Party, said in an interview with the Hankook Ilbo the day before, “the past council members only played a role in supporting the government policy. With the victory of the democratic camp in the previous election, it became clear that Gu was no longer on the side of the government.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping is receiving a New Year’s work report from Hong Kong Executive Minister Carrie Ram through video footage in Beijing on January 27th. At this meeting, Xi urged the practice of one country and two systems (one country and two systems), while emphasizing the principle that’patriots rule Hong Kong’. Beijing=Xinhua Newsis
Accordingly, China is expected to revise election-related laws around the middle of this month when the two meetings are over under the banner of’Hong Kong ruled by patriots’. Following the Hong Kong National Security Law, which was enforced during the two sessions last year, the basis of the’one country and two systems’ (one country and two systems) has become ineffective. Hong Kong expert Tian Pei-long, a professor at Beijing Aerospace University in China, said, “It is important to reorganize the Hong Kong District Council, which is politically stubborn, away from the essence of business, and comprehensively review the qualifications of candidates running for elections.” Pointed out.
Beijing= Kwangsoo Kim Correspondent [email protected]
News directly edited by the Hankook Ilbo can also be viewed on Naver.
