Despite a low turnout, voters in Hong Kong strongly support “referendum” on democracy
Hong Kong voters were called to vote when five pan-democrat (pro-democracy) Members of the Legislative Council (LegCo) resigned in January to trigger by-elections. The parties they represent wanted to turn the vote into a referendum on democracy in order to abolish functional constituencies and introduce direct election to the post of chief executive.
Only half of the LegCo’s 60 seats is chosen by universal suffrage. The other half is picked by functional constituencies and the government. This means that members of functional colleges can vote twice.
The chief executive is elected by a college of 800 members, most of whom are to loyal to Beijing.
Under British rule, Hong Kong never had a democratic government, a situation that continued after the crown colony was returned to China. Since then, mainland authorities have claimed the right to decide what political reform the territory deserves, if any.
Concerned about a pro-democracy referendum, Hong Kong authorities came up with a reform package that would come into effect for the 2012 elections. It included a larger electoral college for the post of chief executive (from 800 to 1,200 members) and ten more LegCo seats.
Beijing and its supporters in Hong Kong strongly opposed the by-elections. Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen and members of his cabinet announced before the election that they would not vote.
The five lawmakers who triggered the by-elections—Tanya Chan and Alan Leong Kah-kit of the Civic Party, and Leung Kwok-hung, Wong Yuk-man and Albert Chan Wai-yip of the League of Social Democrats—were re-elected with comfortable majorities, according to official results released this morning.
On Thursday the League said it would consider the by-elections an "unprecedented success" if turnout reached 25 per cent. Speaking after polls closed, Civic Party leader Audrey Eu Yuet-mee said the turnout was satisfactory.
According to an exit poll by the University of Hong Kong, more than 50 per cent of respondents said they had voted to fulfil their civic duties; 65 per cent said they backed the "de facto referendum": and 59 per cent said they opposed the government's reform proposals.
Hong Kong’s Catholic Church also expressed its support for direct elections. Bishop Emeritus, Card Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, said, “Without a democratic system, there can be no improvement in people's livelihood. This referendum is an unusual chance for us to demonstrate our anger through peaceful means."
As for the government, not only did it not support the vote, but it also played dirty. Some voters in the New Territories were forced to go out of their way to remote polling stations after rural leaders refused to rent their premises to the government. Others voters could not vote because polling stations were too far away, in downtown Hong Kong.
Unlike his predecessors, Electoral Affairs Commission chairman Barnabas Fung Wah did not urge people to vote.
Still, many voters cast their vote in order to turn the election into a referendum.
University lecturer Chapman Chen said, “I have been living in Finland for two years but I came back to vote. The day for universal suffrage cannot be delayed anymore"
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