Hong Kong votes in election as city mourns deadly fire

Hongkongers have voted in an election seen as a test of public sentiment following a deadly fire that angered some in the city.

The government mounted a huge campaign to encourage residents to choose members of the Legislative Council (LegCo). All of the candidates have been vetted to ensure they are loyal to China.

Voter turnout was 31.9%, according to the city’s electoral office. The last election in 2021 saw the administrative region’s lowest-ever turnout of 30% amid widespread voter apathy.

This election took place as many were mourning a devastating fire in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district last month that killed nearly 160 people.

Around 1.3 million voted out of around 4.1 million registered voters in the city, which has a population of more than seven million.

China earlier made sweeping changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system to ensure only “patriots” could run for seats.

Beijing has said the changes, which were put in place after anti-government protests in 2019, were necessary to ensure stability in Hong Kong, but critics say they weakened democracy.

Ahead of the recent election, authorities distributed aid to survivors of the Tai Po fire, arrested suspects and sought to improve building safety, as some Hongkongers raised questions about the incident.

A total of 161 candidates competed for 90 seats in the LegCo, which acts as a mini parliament and can make and amend laws. Twenty of those are directly elected, while nearly half are picked by the pro-Beijing Election Committee and the rest chosen by special interest groups like business and trade.

This year, the government has blanketed the city with posters urging Hongkongers to head to the polls, while dangling freebies and shopping discounts.

After casting their vote, each person received a “thank you card” that could be redeemed for vouchers in selected shops and restaurants, or for beauty services, medical check-ups and insurance policy premiums.

Authorities also offered free entry to public swimming pools and museums on polling day, organising carnivals in various neighbourhoods, and holding a televised variety show and gala.

They have also created cartoon mascots and a theme tune for the election, adapted from a 2001 hit song by Cantopop star Aaron Kwok, called “Let’s Vote, Together We Create The Future”.

Hong Kong’s Chief Secretary Eric Chan told reporters last month that the measures were aimed at ensuring “a happy and festive mood” and to “let residents recognise the importance of the election”.

But in recent days focus has been on the 26 November fire that engulfed high-rise residential blocks at Wang Fuk Court in the northerly suburban district of Tai Po.

The blaze was the worst seen in Hong Kong in more than 70 years. The death toll, which currently stands at 159, is likely to rise further as officials continue to recover bodies.

As Hong Kong mourns its dead, some are asking whether the fire could have been prevented and questioning building safety standards. Many Hongkongers live in ageing high-rise buildings similar to Wang Fuk Court.

Authorities have since ordered the creation of an independent committee to investigate the cause of the fire, and have arrested 13 people on suspicion of manslaughter.

They have also ordered the removal of scaffolding mesh used in all building renovations across the city.

Investigators have found that a scaffolding mesh used for renovations in Wang Fuk Court failed to meet flame retardant standards – and that the fire spread quickly due to the mesh and other flammable materials on the outside of the buildings.

Authorities have also moved quickly to quell dissent. Police have reportedly detained a man, who was part of a group petitioning for an independent inquiry, for suspected sedition on Saturday. The petition was also wiped from the internet.

Two other people, including a former district councillor, were also taken in by police.

Political campaigning for the LegCo election was immediately suspended following the fire, though government-organised debate forums resumed after a few days. Carnivals organised for the election campaign were also cancelled.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee insisted the LegCo election continued as planned as “we must move forward before we can turn our grief into strength”.

He said that the new legislators would be able to quickly support reconstruction and reforms.

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

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

He pointed out that most Hongkongers have traditionally supported the pan-democrat opposition – which have effectively been barred from taking part. “I think they won’t be convinced to participate this time, just as they mostly stayed away in 2021.”

Mobilising pro-establishment voters following the fire would be difficult for the government as well, he added.

Some in that camp will be impressed by how authorities have speedily re-housed those made homeless in the fire and the aid authorities have provided, “which by any measure has been rapid and relatively generous”, noted Prof Burns.

But others may have stayed away from the polls as they were “disappointed, even angry, by the governance problems the fire has exposed”, he said.

Hong Kong’s national security office this week reposted a commentary from a pro-Beijing news outlet that urged residents to vote to show support for government’s reconstruction efforts.

“Building a good future together starts with this vote. If you truly love Hong Kong, you should sincerely vote,” the commentary said.

This year’s LegCo election featured a number of new faces, with about a quarter of the incumbent lawmakers stepping down.

Local media reports that Beijing pressured several lawmakers to retire as it had unofficially set an age limit.

A number of those stepping down are aged above 70, including the prominent politician Regina Ip, a former security chief nicknamed the “Iron Lady”.