COVID-19 Fears Delay Hong Kong's Legislative Council Elections By A Year

Hong Kong's government has postponed the city's legislative elections previously slated in September by one year in view of the coronavirus pandemic that has become more menacing in the recent weeks.

According to a report, Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam said that the delay has been vouched by the Chinese central government and had "no political considerations." She added that the decision took public health into account and would guarantee fair play for next year's elections.

Although it had net-zero daily transmissions in June, the succeeding wave of the contagion saw a rise in infections in the past weeks. Worried health officials foresee that it may take several weeks or even until Winter if it is not brought under control. Vaccine talks have also been underway when Lam invoked the ordinance that postponed the said elections.

Hong Kong's Basic Law dictated that the terms of the legislative council is only up to 4 years and Lam appeared to be well-aware of this which is why she has sought the advice of the Central People's government. Beijing responded that it will take the inquiry to the National People's Congress for its succeeding talks.

While Lam believed that it is only logical for the current Legislative Council to continue their term until next year, there are some activists who have insisted that the pandemic is only being used as an excuse to delay such a pivotal election for Hong Kong and avoiding potential losses brought by the newly-imposed national security law.

Before the said postponement was announced, twelve pro-democracy candidates had been disqualified from standing for the Legislative Council elections. Hong Kong's government said it supported the disqualification as the disqualified candidates refused to uphold the Basic Law hinting that more could be barred from standing next year's elections if they did the same.

Lam said that many governments around the world had also postponed their elections by a year due to the crisis that has been brought by the pandemic and cited London's Mayoral elections as well as the elections for Australia's New South Wales. Critics responded that the gravity of the outbreak in Hong Kong is not as severe.

Other objections to Lam's announcement have been expressed by activist Joshua Wong who is one of the elections' disqualified candidates. He had written on Twitter that the pandemic is only being used as "an excuse to postpone the election" and referred to it as "the biggest election fraud in Hong Kong's history."