The G7 and the European Union denounced Monday an “erosion” of democracy in Hong Kong, where the ballot reserved for the first time for “patriotic” candidates was hailed as a success by the chief executive of the territory.
Barely 30% of Hong Kong people, or 1.3 million voters out of 4.5 million voters, chose their Legislative Council on Sunday, appointed under a new electoral system imposed by Beijing, which drastically reduced the number of voters. seats provided by universal suffrage and reserved the right to be a candidate for “patriots” only.
This is the lowest turnout since the handover of Hong Kong to China by the UK in 1997 and even since the first direct election of members of the Legislative Council in 1991.
“Hong Kong is back on the right track, that of ‘one country, two systems’,” said Chief Executive Carrie Lam, however.
“We cannot copy and paste the system or the so-called democratic rules of Western countries,” she added, considering that “anti-Chinese” elements were now excluded and political calm restored.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministries of the G7 countries (France, Germany, Canada, United States, Italy, Japan and United Kingdom), for their part, expressed their “deep concern at the erosion of democratic elements. of the electoral system ”.
They also “firmly” reiterated their call for China to “respect human rights and fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong.”
The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, for his part estimated in a statement that the ballot was “a new step in the dismantling of the principle” one country, two systems “” and called for a “high degree of autonomy , as well as respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, democratic principles and the rule of law ”in Hong Kong.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian blamed the pandemic for the abstention. He also pointed out “anti-Chinese elements determined to destroy Hong Kong, and the interference of outside forces”.
“Patriotism” and political loyalty
Result of electoral reform: The local assembly is made up of loyalists to the government, similar to the legislative bodies in Beijing.
This year, to be allowed to run for a seat, each of the 153 candidates had to pledge “patriotism” and political loyalty to China.
As a result, democracy activists have been prevented from running or have renounced when they are not in prison or on the run abroad.
Several of them who live in exile had called for a boycott of the ballot box.
The participation rate, a thermometer of the adherence of Hong Kongers to the new electoral system, was therefore particularly expected.
Refraining, voting blank or void remains legal in Hong Kong. On the other hand, to encourage these practices constitutes since this year a criminal offense, for which 10 people were arrested.
The new rules were imposed by Beijing as part of Hong Kong’s takeover after the massive protests of 2019.
Under British or Chinese sovereignty, the territory has never known full democracy, which has been the source of great protests on several occasions.
“Express disapproval”
In the weeks preceding the vote, the government had advertised pages in newspapers, distributed leaflets in mailboxes and sent massive text messages to encourage Hong Kong people to vote. Public transport was free on Sunday.
The low turnout is “extremely embarrassing” for the government, said Kenneth Chan, a political scientist at Hong Kong Baptist University. “Most of the voters defending democracy have decided to abstain, to express their disapproval,” he told AFP.
The “LegCo”, made up of 90 legislators, 20 of whom are now elected by universal suffrage, is the assembly responsible for passing laws in the former British colony of 7.5 million inhabitants, whose legal system remains distinct from that. from mainland China.
Although the majority of Council seats were still given to established figures in Beijing, a minority of opponents was once tolerated there. This made it a place of often very lively debates, which will no longer be the case.
“The new Legislative Council, now under full patriot control, will function effectively as a guardian of national security and unity,” wrote Lau Siu-kai, vice chairman of the main Hong Kong think tank. pro-Beijing, in the state-run China Daily.
Dozens of pro-democracy opposition figures – a number of whom were elected in previous elections in 2016 – have been disqualified, are currently in jail under a draconian “national security” law imposed by Beijing in 2020 or have fled abroad.