A total of 100 candidates have passed a national security screening to contest next month’s Election Committee by-elections in Hong Kong, where they will compete for 93 seats on the powerful body that elects the city’s leader.
The Candidate Eligibility Review Committee – led by Chief Secretary Eric Chan – announced on Monday that the nominations of 100 candidates for the September 7 polls had been validated.
One candidate was disqualified after passing away during the nomination period.
Hong Kong authorities introduced a candidate vetting mechanism in 2021 as part of a sweeping overhaul to ensure only “patriots” hold power in the city.
The process begins with a police assessment of the candidate, followed by a decision from the Committee for Safeguarding National Security – which comprises top officials and an adviser from Beijing – on whether the candidate upholds the Basic Law and bears allegiance to Hong Kong.
The Candidate Eligibility Review Committee then follows this opinion to determine whether the candidate’s nomination is valid.
It is estimated that nearly 80 per cent of the 93 vacancies across 28 sectors will be uncontested. The government projected in February that the polls would cost HK$233 million.
Winners next month will get a say in the Legislative Council elections in December – a new power given to the committee after the 2021 overhaul. The revamp also saw the Election Committee expanded from 1,200 to 1,500 members.
Separately, 10 new members will join the Election Committee through supplementary nominations by designated bodies, meaning no public polls will be held for these seats.
The Candidate Eligibility Review Committee said there were 11 nominees in this category. Since designated bodies had indicated their preferred candidates, 10 were vetted and approved, while the eligibility of the remaining nominee was left undetermined.
According to the voter registration statistics updated last month, the Election Committee subsectors have a total of 8,877 registered voters, including 5,567 group voters and 3,310 individual voters.
The number dropped from 257,992 in 2020, as many individual voters, such as teachers, were no longer allowed to cast their ballots. Instead, they were represented by corporate voters.
In March 2021, Beijing passed legislation to ensure “patriots” govern Hong Kong. The move reduced democratic representation in the legislature, tightened control of elections and introduced a pro-Beijing vetting panel to select candidates. Authorities say the overhaul ensures the city’s stability and prosperity. But the changes also prompted international condemnation, as much of the traditional opposition remains behind bars, in self-exile or has quit politics.
