Embattled Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has refused to offer any concessions to anti-government protesters despite a local election trouncing.
Hong Kong - Embattled Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam refused to offer any concessions to anti-government protesters on Tuesday despite a local election trouncing, saying she will instead accelerate dialogue and identify ways to address societal grievances.
Lam said the central government in Beijing didn’t blame her for the election outcome that gave the pro-democracy bloc a landslide victory with 90% of the seats and control of 17 out of 18 district councils. Nearly 3 million voters cast ballots in a record turnout for an election that was viewed as a barometer of public support for more than five months of pro-democracy protests. The government’s refusal to compromise despite the outcome could spark more unrest at a time when the semi-autonomous Chinese territory has plunged into its first recession in a decade.
Lam said Sunday’s election may have reflected unhappiness with the government’s handling of the unrest but also showed that many people want a stop to violence. “Let me just stress that after these five-six months, Hong Kong people have realized very clearly that Hong Kong could no longer tolerate this chaotic situation,” Lam said at her weekly news conference. “Please help us to maintain the relative calm and peace that we have seen in the last week or so and provide a good basis for Hong Kong to move forward.”
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.
Record numbers turn out for crucial Hong Kong electionsHigh turnout ‘reflects people’s hope for genuine universal suffrage’
Read more »
Hong Kong establishment crushed at polls in stark message to BeijingHong Kong's deeply unpopular leader vowed to 'listen humbly' to voters after the pro-democracy camp scored a crushing victory in community-level elections that revealed broad public support for a protest movement that has sparked months of violence.
Read more »
Hong Kong vote hits record numbersLengthy queues snaked out of polling stations across the territory in the election for 18 district councils.
Read more »
Record numbers turn out for crucial Hong Kong electionsHigh turnout ‘reflects people’s hope for genuine universal suffrage’
Read more »