Hong Kong: less than 5,000 Hong Kong people from most pro-establishment circles choose elections on Sundays for candidates who are allowed to be loyal to Beijing, who will choose leaders supported by China in the next city.
Pro-democracy candidates are almost non-existent from Hong Kong’s first elections since Beijing overhaul the city selection system to ensure that “only patriots” ruled China’s largest city.
The police have increased security throughout the city, with local media that reported 6,000 officers expected to be deployed to ensure a smooth voice, where around 4,900 people are expected to provide ballots.
Changes in the political system are the latest in a series of movements – including national security laws that punish whatever Beijing is considered as subversion, self-separation, terrorism or collusion with foreign forces – who have placed the international financial center in the authoritarian path.
Most of the leading democratic activists and politicians are now in prison or have fled abroad.
The Chinese rubber stamp parliament can change the Hong Kong electoral system, reducing democratic representation in institutions and introducing an inspection mechanism for candidates and election winners.
This is all but influence influence, opposition can mobilize.
These changes also dramatically reduced the influence of strong city tycoons, although groups approached their business interests maintaining the presence at 1,500 strong committees who chose the head of the Hong Kong executive.
China promises universal voting rights as the final goal for Hong Kong in the mini constitution, basic law, which also states the city has extensive autonomy from Beijing.
The democratic campaign and Western countries said the political reshuffle moved the city in the opposite direction, leaving democratic opposition with the most limited space since England handed over the former colony to return to China in 1997.
Child membership for 117-level district council, dominated By Democrats, canceled, while more than 500 seats appointed for Chinese business groups, politics and grassroots were added.
The new election list includes community level organizations such as modern mummy groups and Chinese art papercutane associations, cable TVs are reported.
Representations of professional sub-sectors who have traditionally have a greater pro-democracy presence, including legal, education, social welfare, medical and health services, diluted by the addition of ex-offisio members, reducing the number of selected seats.
Twenty-three of the 36 sub-sectors open for contests, amounted to around 600 seats, will not see competition.
About 70% of the nomination does not display in the last two polls for the committee, which will develop by 300 members to 1,500, Reuters calculations based on the Selection Committee website shows.
Many leading tycoons, including Hong Kong’s richest man, Li Ka-shing, will not be in the election committee for the first time, because Beijing tries to rebalance the strength of large conglomerates to small businesses.
Three Moguls Property – Li, 93, ownership of CK assets, Lee Shau-Kee, also 93, from Henderson Land and Henry Cheng, 74, from the development of the new world, withdrawing from the race, even though their sons will maintain their seats.
The Election Committee will choose 40 seats in the legislative council which was changed in December, and chose the chief executive in March.