Hong Kong Democrat Camp Primary Elections kick off





Hong Kong - District-wide democrat camp primary elections are set to take place Saturday district-wide, where registered voters will select the strongest candidates to run for seats in Hong Kong's official parliamentary elections in September.



The elections, will run over the weekend and are organised by the group Power for Democracy, were thrown into question on Friday after a co-organiser responsible for polling, Public Opinion Research Institute (PORI), was raided by police, who told dpa they are still investigating the case.
The goal of the "Democrat Camp 35+ Primary Election" is to gain a majority of 35 or more seats (more than half) in the September Legislative Council election, a move which would give them more power to veto pro-establishment legislation.
Three million people took to polling stations on November 24 for the 2019 Hong Kong District Council elections, which resulted in a landslide victory for the pro-democracy camp, who gained control of 17 of the 18 District Councils.  
The new national security law, implemented by Beijing on 30 June which targets separatism, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, has put hard-won gains made by the opposition party and voters using their right to vote, under the spotlight, as Hongkongers face uncertainty over what exactly constitutes as violating the law.
During a government broadcast on Thursday the Secretary for Mainland Constitutional Affairs, Erick Tsang, said organisers and participants of the primary elections might violate the new law, saying polls could allegedly be manipulated to interfer with Septembers LegCo elections.
Local campaigners are urging voters to "Fight locally against tyranny."

 


Saturday, July 11th 2020
(dpa)
           


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