Campaigners in Hong Kong have registered thousands of new voters during mass pro...
HONG KONG - Campaigners in Hong Kong have registered thousands of new voters during mass protests against controversial extradition law reform, pouncing on an opportunity to bolster the democratic opposition’s prospects in upcoming elections.
Electoral rules after Hong Kong’s 1997 return to China from Britain effectively guarantee that the legislature, known as Legco, is stacked in Beijing’s favor, with only half the parliament directly elected. Demonstrations last week, marred by violence, were followed by a march on Sunday that organizers said drew nearly 2 million people opposed to the bill, which would allow people in Hong Kong to be extradited to China.
Half of Legco’s 70 seats are popularly elected and the rest are picked by business and professional groups called “functional constituencies,” which are dominated by pro-Beijing figures. The legislature “is a very important battleground for us because it’s a firewall between the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Chinese government, which is controlling everything,” Ho said, referring to the territory’s mini-constitution.
Most of the demonstrators have been relatively young, and youth are under-represented among the electorate, Ho said. They are also potentially sympathetic to the pro-democracy parties, while the pro-Beijing camp’s base includes more older citizens.
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