Hong Kong votes in special elections that activists hope will pressure Beijing for democracy

HK election aims to pressure Beijing for democracy

HONG KONG — Hong Kongers voted Sunday in territory-wide special elections triggered by five opposition legislators who resigned in the hopes of pressuring Beijing to implement full democracy in this former British colony.

The five former lawmakers, who represent each of Hong Kong’s five major electoral districts, quit in January with the intention of setting up a showdown against pro-Beijing candidates that will serve as a de facto referendum on democracy.

While Hong Kong has continued to enjoy Western-style civil liberties under Chinese rule, its top leader is picked by a committee stacked with Beijing loyalists and its 60-member legislature is half-elected, half chosen by interest groups.

Beijing has condemned the democracy activists’ campaign, and Hong Kong’s leading pro-China political parties announced a boycott.

With the five ex-legislators likely to win re-election overwhelmingly against a smattering of unknown candidates, political analysts question if the campaign will influence the Chinese government. Still, the democracy activists have pressed ahead, arguing that a strong turnout on Sunday will pressure Beijing.

The five candidates made a last-minute appeal for votes on Sunday, canvassing restaurants where locals were enjoying dim sum — Cantonese bite-size snacks — and touring the territory in cars.

“Fight for a fair and just society,” one of the candidates, Leung Kwok-hung, said as he handed out campaign flyers outside a suburban subway station in his district.

The activists say they aim to bring out their base, which they estimate at about 25 percent of Hong Kong’s 3.4 million registered voters. Seven hours into the 15-hour voting period, about 246,000 people had voted — a turnout rate of 7.3 percent, according to government figures.

Cardinal Joseph Zen, the retired Hong Kong bishop and an outspoken democracy advocate who’s frequently critical of Beijing, was among the early voters on Sunday. Zen told reporters Hong Kong’s lack of democracy was at the root of problems like a big rich-poor gap and the government’s pro-business bent.

“People’s lives won’t improve without a democratic system,” he said. “I hope everyone will come out today and take advantage of this opportunity to express our anger peacefully.”

The referendum campaign, however, has drawn mixed responses. Independent polls have consistently shown more opponents than supporters.

Domestic worker Mak Ling-jen said she was disgusted by what she called a “political game.”

“Is this a joke — resigning and then participating in elections again? It is a waste of taxpayer dollars and public resources,” the 55-year-old said. “This whole thing is wrong and I am deeply unsettled by it.”

Toeing Beijing’s line, the Hong Kong administration has called the referendum campaign unnecessary, with leader Donald Tsang saying Friday that he and his senior officials won’t vote in the special election. But the government has gone ahead and organized the contest as required by law.

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Associated Press writer Joyce Woo contributed to this report.