Hong Kong officials are working to boost turnout in Sunday's legislative election, according to diplomats and people familiar with the effort.
As part of those actions, two Chinese state-owned banks have appealed to workers to vote, said two people familiar with the matter and an email seen by Reuters.
Authorities also have issued warnings, including to international media, that inciting a person not to vote or to cast an invalid vote is illegal. Some democracy activists who fled Hong Kong to avoid arrest have called on voters to ignore the election to avoid giving the vote legitimacy. Bank of China sent two emails to local staff in recent weeks urging them to vote, and conducted an informal survey asking them if they planned to do so, the person said.
Soon after the arrests, China's parliament announced sweeping changes to the electoral landscape, reducing the number of directly elected seats from half to around a quarter, while an electoral committee stacked with pro-Beijing figures will select more than a third of the legislative seats.Hong Kong officials have also appeared to attempt to lower expectations for voting levels or to talk down the significance of a low turnout if it happens.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Hong Kong to hold first 'patriots only' pollsResidents eligible to vote will only decide 20 seats in a 90-person legislature, but the majority will be picked by a select committee of 1,500 staunch loyalists and committees.
Read more »
Hong Kong is set for first legislative election since Beijing's new electoral rulesHong Kong holds elections for the city's legislature on Sunday — the first for the Legislative Council since Beijing led an overhaul of Hong Kong's electoral process.
Read more »
Trip.com Beats Expectations, Alibaba Investor Day Kicks Off As Hong Kong & China StabilizeThe market sentiment seemed cautious ahead of the expected US Commerce Department announcement which included some speculation that biotech companies will be added to the technology export ban
Read more »
Trip.com Beats Expectations, Alibaba Investor Day Kicks Off As Hong Kong & China StabilizeThe market sentiment seemed cautious ahead of the expected US Commerce Department announcement which included some speculation that biotech companies will be added to the technology export ban
Read more »
Hong Kong public gears up to vote amid new election laws | AP NewsHONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong voters are preparing to vote for the first time this weekend since election laws were changed, amid a dearth of opposition candidates months after the city began cracking down on dissent.
Read more »
Hong Kong election defines dramatic changes by Beijing | AP NewsHONG KONG (AP) — Elections for Hong Kong’s Legislative Council on Sunday mark the culmination of Beijing’s campaign to rein in the body that had once kept it from imposing its unrestrained will over the semi-autonomous territory.
Read more »