Hong Kong elections results: blow for pro-democracy movement with lost seats

Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigners have suffered a blow after weekend elections saw them lose critical influence in the city’s government.

Democracy candidates failed to recapture two out of four seats in crucial by elections on Sunday in the former British colony, with the loss depriving the camp of their power to block most bills in the city’s 70 seat parliament.

All four seats were previously held by members of pro-democracy parties who were ejected after controversy surrounding their oaths of office in 2016. Two more banned lawmakers are still contesting their disqualification in court.

China has taken an increasingly hard line against dissent in Hong Kong in recent years and the election was widely seen as a referendum on the creeping influence of Beijing.

Over the past few years Chinese security agents have abducted Hong Kong booksellers, Beijing has evoked a power to rewrite Hong Kong laws and the government has moved to criminalise some forms of protest that involved “disrespecting” the national anthem. Hong Kong’s Beijing-appointed government has also sought to jail dozens of protesters, including several prominent politicians.


Source : foxnews