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Hong Kong elections: will Legislative Council polls be postponed, and who stands to gain?

  • City’s leader has to weigh political risks of pressing on or delaying elections, but ultimate decision may not be hers to make
  • This is the first of a three-part series on the build-up to Hong Kong’s Legislative Council elections due on September 6

Reading Time:9 minutes
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In the first of a three-part series, we explore the political implications behind any decision to change the polling date. Illustration: Henry Wong
The clock is ticking as Hong Kong’s leader decides whether to hold the Legislative Council elections in early September as promised, or delay them due to the escalating coronavirus pandemic.
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On Tuesday, sources said Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor met ministers and close advisers to discuss the possibility of pushing back the polls, but no decision was reached, and the group agreed to convene again on Friday after the nomination period ends.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam earlier met cabinet advisers to discuss the possibility of postponing the polls. Photo: Edmond So
Chief Executive Carrie Lam earlier met cabinet advisers to discuss the possibility of postponing the polls. Photo: Edmond So

Either choice presents her with risks – postponing could launch a fresh constitutional crisis, while going ahead opens up the possibility of the opposition camp seizing a majority for the first time in the history of the global financial hub, an outcome expected to infuriate Beijing.

Traditional pro-establishment allies of Lam have in recent days called for the Legco elections, set for September 6, to be pushed back by as much as a year.

Residents cannot be expected to put their lives in jeopardy by heading to polling stations with the virus out of control, they argue. But opposition figures say any postponement is aimed at giving their rivals more time to wait out anger over a newly imposed national security law. Experts note nations such as Singapore have successfully carried out elections after stepping up measures to minimise Covid-19 risks from crowds of people gathering to vote.
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