The Hong Kong government said in a Monday statement that the new Elections Committee is « broadly representative » and made up of « a number of subsectors. »
A 1,500-member panel responsible for choosing Hong Kong’s next leader and almost half of the city’s legislature will include only one opposition-member, while the rest are loyal to China, according to results of a select election announced Monday. The results come as authorities continue to impose restraints on dissent in the semi-autonomous metropolis, the Associated Press reported. The Election Committee will choose Hong Kong’s next leader in March of 2022, as well as 40 of 90 lawmakers for Hong Kong in upcoming December elections following a restructuring of electoral processes in May. The modifications expanded the panel from 1,200 to 1,500 members, while decreasing the number of direct voters who select panel members from approximately 246,000 to fewer than 8,000, AP reported. The modified laws also permit only « patriots, » or those loyal to China and Hong Kong, to lead the city, guaranteeing that a wide majority of the Elections Committee will be pro-Beijing and select a leader and legislature members loyal to the policies and rulings of the Chinese Communist Party. The Hong Kong government said in a Monday statement that the new committee is « broadly representative » and made up of « a number of subsectors.
