The end of democracy in Hong Kong: Chinese regime will control parliamentary candidates

Chinese regime to tighten checks on Hong Kong parliamentary candidates, announced on Friday a Chinese deputy.

The Chinese Parliament, meeting Friday in annual plenary session, undertook a reform of the electoral system in the former British colony, which will result in marginalization of the pro-democracy opposition.

The National People’s Assembly (ANP) already imposed last year on its autonomous territory the national security law which restricted political freedoms, in reaction to the 2019 protests against the pro-Beijing local executive.

On this occasion, according to the bill presented to the ANP, uAn electoral committee subordinate to the communist regime will be responsible for examining candidates for the Legislative Council (Legco), the parliament of Hong Kong.

No candidate can stand without the approval of this body.

The electoral committee will have the task “of electing a large part of the members of the Legislative Council and directly participating in the nomination of all candidates,” Wang Chen, vice chairman of the PNA Standing Committee, told reporters.

The Legislative Council is currently composed of 70 deputies, half of whom are democratically elected and the other half by the pro-Beijing electoral committee.

This device allowed the Chinese power secure majorities in favor of Hong Kong since the return of British territory to China in 1997.

On the occasion of the legislative elections in Hong Kong initially scheduled for September, Beijing hinted that it would do everything to ensure that the “patriots” rule the autonomous region.

(With agency information)

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