Hong Kong elections vote as city mourns deadly fire

Hong Kongers are voting in an election seen as a test of public sentiment after a deadly fire angered some in the city.

The government has launched a massive campaign to encourage Hong Kong people to elect members of the Legislative Council. All candidates are vetted to ensure they are loyal to China.

The election comes as many mourn the Tai Po fire that killed nearly 160 people last month.

In recent days, as some Hong Kongers have raised questions about the incident, authorities have distributed aid to survivors, arrested suspects and sought to improve building safety.

A total of 161 candidates competed for the 90 seats in the Legislative Council, a small parliament that can make and amend laws.

The election is the second since 2021, when China made sweeping changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system to ensure that only “patriots” could run for seats.

Beijing says the reforms, implemented shortly after the 2019 protests, are necessary to ensure stability in Hong Kong, but critics say they weaken democracy.

The latest poll, taken shortly after the changes, saw turnout hit an all-time low of 30% amid widespread voter apathy.

This year, the government plastered posters across the city urging Hong Kongers to go to the polls, along with freebies and shopping discounts.

After voting, everyone will receive a “thank you card” that can be redeemed for vouchers at designated stores and restaurants, or for beauty services, physical examinations and insurance premiums.

The authorities also opened public swimming pools and museums free of charge on voting days, organized carnivals in various neighborhoods, and hosted TV variety shows and galas.

They also created a cartoon mascot and theme song for the election, adapted from Cantonese pop star Aaron Kwok’s 2001 hit “Vote, Let’s Create the Future Together.”

Chief Secretary for Administration Frank Chan Ka-fai told reporters last month that the measures were aimed at ensuring a “joyful and festive atmosphere” and “making residents aware of the importance of the election”.

But in recent days, the city has been focused on the November 26 fire that engulfed a high-rise residential building in Wang Fook Court in Tai Po North.

This is Hong Kong’s worst fire in more than 70 years. The death toll currently stands at 159 and is likely to rise further as officials continue to recover bodies.

As Hong Kong mourns the dead, some are asking whether the fires could have been prevented and questioning building safety standards. Many Hong Kongers live in aging high-rise buildings like Wang Fook Court.

The authorities have since ordered the establishment of an independent commission to investigate the cause of the fire and arrested 13 people on suspicion of manslaughter.

They also ordered the removal of scaffolding nets used in all building renovations across the city. Investigators found that the scaffolding netting used during the renovation of Wang Fook Court did not meet flame retardant standards, and because the netting and other flammable materials were located outside the building, the fire spread quickly.

The authorities also moved quickly to quell dissent. Police reportedly detained a man who was part of a group petitioning for an independent inquiry on Saturday on suspicion of sedition. The petition was also removed from the internet.

Two other people, including a former district councilor, were also taken away by police.

Political campaigning for the legislative election was suspended immediately after the fire, but government-organized debate forums resumed days later. A carnival organized for the campaign was also cancelled.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Lee Ka-chiu insisted that the Legislative Council election would go ahead as planned because “we must move forward to turn grief into strength.”

He said the new lawmakers would be able to quickly support reconstruction and reform.

John P Burns, an emeritus professor at the University of Hong Kong and an expert on Chinese politics, said he believed the government would interpret the high turnout as a sign that voters viewed Hong Kong’s reshaped political system as “relatively legitimate.”

But he expected the numbers to be low, partly due to the Tai Po fire.

He pointed out that most Hong Kong people have traditionally supported the pan-democratic opposition, but they are effectively prohibited from participating. “I don’t think they will be persuaded to participate this time, just like they mostly didn’t participate in 2021,” he said.

Mobilizing establishment voters after the fires will also be difficult for the government, he added.

Professor Burns noted that some in the camp will be impressed by how quickly authorities resettled people made homeless by the fire, and how the assistance provided was “quick and relatively generous by any standards”.

But others “may stay away from the polls” because they are “frustrated, even angry” by the governance issues exposed by the fires, he said.

Hong Kong’s National Security Office this week retweeted comments from a pro-Beijing news outlet urging residents to vote in support of the government’s reconstruction efforts.

“Creating a better future together starts with this vote. If you truly love Hong Kong, you should vote sincerely,” the comment said.

This year’s Legislative Council election will see a batch of new faces, with about a quarter of current legislators resigning.

Local media reported that Beijing had pressured several lawmakers to retire as they unofficially set age limits.

Many of those who resigned were over 70 years old, including the famous politicians Regina Ip, Former security chief nicknamed “Iron Lady”.