Hong Kong election a referendum on anti-government protests

Cathy Yau remembers first time she was called a “dirty cop” by Hong Kong’s anti-government protesters, days after police deployed tear gas to repel tens of thousands of black-cl demonstrators blocking legislature. former officer, exasperated at increasing use of force to quell unrest, quit in July after 11 years.

w she is among scores of new faces vying for office Sunday in citywide elections that have become a referendum on public support for protests, which have disrupted life for more than five months. “Some residents still call me a rogue cop but re are ors who tell me to keep it up as y want a change this year,” said 36-year-old Yau, who faces a tough battle against an incumbent who has served constituency for years. election for 452 seats on city’s 18 district councils usually gets little attention but this year has shaped up as a pivotal battleground for protesters anxious to seize ballot box to legitimize ir cause.

For first time, all seats are contested in Hong Kong’s only fully democratic elections. pro-democracy opposition hopes to win a decisive victory on back of public anger against government and police. “ election this time serves as a political barometer. pro-democracy camp certainly wants results to demonstrate that its cause enjoys support of people to show to world and to Chinese leership,” said Joseph Cheng, a pro-democracy political commentator.

Those under 36, backbone of protesters, account for about a quarter of 4.1 million voters — nearly 60% of city’s population. A drubbing for pro-establishment camp that dominates councils would embarrass city’s government and nullify Beijing’s narrative that a mirity of rical separatists colluded with foreign “black hands” and don’t enjoy majority support, he said. Pro-government candidates concede y are underdogs but are urging voters to choose stability over violence.

Calvin Sze To, 29, said citizens will need to choose if y “want a stable government or continue to make a mess in Hong Kong.” matter outcome, he said government has to look into ways to heal society wounds. Cheung Ka Yan, a 26-year-old accountant, said she jumped into fray because many young people who support free elections for city’s leer and legislature — one of protesters’ key demands — decry violence. “You cant win universal suffr by committing arson, killing people and hurling bricks and gas bombs. We must be rational and take one step at a time to realize this goal,” she said.

poll has ripple effects in higher-level elections. winning camp gets to elect 117 representatives to 1,200-member panel that picks city’s leer. pro-democracy camp has some 300 supporters on panel, so ar 117 seats would greatly expand its influence, though still be far short of a majority. Beijing has recently said it would tighten its control over selection of Hong Kong’s chief executive, though it has t said how. “ Chinese leership has indicated that it will retain its hard line and it is unlikely that Beiing will make concessions to a mass movement. It is very concerned of demonstration effect in mainland China,” Cheng said.

Prominent activist Joshua Wong, a leer in 2014 protests for universal suffr, was only candidate barred from running on grounds that his party vocates independence. Police will be deployed to tighten security at dozens of polling stations across city that will stay open for 15 hours Sunday. Some stations have been moved away from university campuses that turned into combat zones with protesters shooting flaming arrows and petrol bombs in intense clashes last week.

unrest started in June over a w-abandoned extrition bill that would send criminal suspects to mainland China for trials and is seen as an erosion of freedoms promised to former British colony when it returned to Chinese control in 1997. It has since morphed into an anti-China movement with demands for universal suffr and an independent probe on police conduct. “I cant accept fact that tear gas is fired everywhere and police brutality is getting worse. I me right choice to quit,” Yau said while campaigning on a recent afteron in upscale Causeway Bay shopping area. Graffiti across some walls in city agree that “ ballot is stronger than bullet.”