[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Eun-byeol] After China restructured the election system based on the principle of "Hong Kong governed by patriots," pro-China camp candidates won 99.7% of the seats in the first election of the Election Committee held in Hong Kong. Only one opposition figure was elected out of the entire 1,500-member Election Committee.
The 1,500-member Election Committee is selected through sectoral indirect elections, and candidates must pass the review of the Eligibility Review Committee to run.
The Hong Kong South China Morning Post reported that under the principle of "Hong Kong governed by patriots," patriotism was the most important criterion not only for candidates but also for voters in this election.
The pro-China camp in Hong Kong claims that opposition figures lack patriotism, and the Eligibility Review Committee also emphasizes "patriotism" as the most important criterion.
The Hong Kong Electoral Affairs Commission changed more than 60 election regulations last July, reducing the number of Election Committee voters from about 246,000 in 2016 by 97% to 7,971. This is interpreted as a significant reduction in the proportion of individual voters, who previously made up a large part of the Election Committee and mainly supported the opposition, and a restructuring focused on organizational voters representing pro-China camp groups and sectors.
The Election Committee has the authority to elect the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, select 40 Legislative Council members, and choose all candidates running for the Legislative Council elections.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
