Hong Kong To Go On with Election As City Mourns Fire Victims
Hong Kong is going ahead with a city-wide election Sunday as residents mourn the victims of last week's apartment complex blaze. Some say it's too soon, while analysts say grief and anger, combined with pro-Beijing electoral rules, could result in low voter turnout.
Hong Kong Election Proceeds Amid Mourning and Controversy
REPORTER:
Just outside the charred ruins of Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court apartment complex, signs urging people to vote appear.
The city is holding a legislative election this weekend, just days after tragedy struck.
Last week, flames tore through Wang Fuk’s tower blocks, killing at least 156 people, making it Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades.
And mourners are still placing fresh tributes near the complex’s blackened shells.
Still, the territory is pressing on with the vote, even promising to escort survivors of the fire to polling places. For some Hong Kongers, it’s too soon.
Honestly, it is infuriating. I think it lacks respect and there are so many things we want to say. But of course I think, this has been a very tough week for the entire Hong Kong population, everyone is still mourning
Some are even calling for Hong Kong’s chief executive to resign over the disaster.
It definitely has to be postponed.
And I think, after so many things happened
can John Lee still stay in his position?
He has to step down.
So many people died.
Even if he doesn’t bear direct responsibility
he certainly has indirect responsibility.
But Lee says a vote is just what Hong Kong needs right now.
It’s also a way to maintain social stability and strongly support post-disaster reconstruction efforts. Allowing the new legislative council members to take office as soon as possible would enable a faster and more effective advancement of important recovery work.
But even if the election happens on schedule, it’s unclear how big a mandate the winners will have. 2019 Pro-democracy protests triggered major changes to electoral rules. The number of directly elected candidates has shrunk—and only pro-Beijing politicians can run. Many pan-democrat voters, once more than half of the electorate—have simply stopped going to the polls. And some observers say the fire might turn off even more voters.
And if it's lower, that would reflect the anger, resentment, people, people thinking, well, you know, I mean, why did this happen? That's the question. It isn't the immediate shell shock of what do we do now? And this is public housing. And the people in this housing have nothing.
Authorities are trying to keep anger in check ahead of the vote, arresting three people since the fire, including a student who posted an online petition demanding accountability. And barricades quickly went up to cover up messages students left on a wall at this university following the blaze.
So with the city still grieving, last week’s tragedy could now become an unexpected test for the Hong Kong government’s legitimacy.
