Hong Kong is going ahead with a city-wide election Sunday as residents mourn the victims of last week's apartment complex blaze. Some say it's too soon, while analysts say grief and anger, combined with pro-Beijing electoral rules, could result in low voter turnout.
00:00Just outside the charred ruins of Hong Kong's Wong Fook Court apartment complex, signs urging people to vote.
00:07The city is holding a legislative election this weekend, just days after tragedy struck.
00:15Last week, flames tore through Wong Fook's tower blocks, killing at least 156 people, making it Hong Kong's deadliest fire in decades.
00:24And mourners are still placing fresh tributes near the complex's blackened shells.
00:30Still, the territory is pressing on with the vote, even promising to escort survivors of the fire to polling places.
00:38For some Hong Kongers, it's too soon.
00:40Honesty is infuriating. I think it lacks respect.
00:45And there are so many things we want to say.
00:49But of course, I think this has been a very tough week for the entire Hong Kong population.
00:57Everyone is still mourning.
00:59Some are even calling for Hong Kong's chief executive to resign over the disaster.
01:04It's definitely something that we want to do.
01:06And I think that there are so many things that we can do at home.
01:10We can only go out.
01:12There are so many people.
01:13Even though we don't have the right responsibility, we don't have the right responsibility.
01:16But Li says a vote is just what Hong Kong needs right now.
01:21It's also a way to maintain social stability and strongly support post-disaster reconstruction efforts.
01:29Allowing the new legislative council members to take office as soon as possible would enable a faster and more effective advancement of important recovery work.
01:37But even if the election happens on schedule, it's unclear how big a mandate the winners will have.
01:462019 pro-democracy protests triggered major changes to electoral rules.
01:51The number of directly elected candidates has shrunk and only pro-Beijing politicians can run.
01:56Many pan-democrat voters, once more than half of the electorate, have simply stopped going to the polls.
02:03And some observers say the fire might turn off even more voters.
02:08And if it's lower, that would reflect the anger, resentment.
02:15People thinking, well, you know, I mean, why did this happen?
02:20That's the question.
02:22It isn't the immediate shell shock of what do we do now.
02:26And this is public housing.
02:28And the people in this housing have nothing.
02:32Authorities are trying to keep anger in check ahead of the vote, arresting three people since the fire, including a student who posted an online petition demanding accountability.
02:42And barricades quickly went up to cover up messages students left on a wall at this university following the blaze.
02:49So, with the city still grieving, last week's tragedy could now become an unexpected test for the Hong Kong government's legitimacy.
02:57Howard Zhang and John Van Trieste for Taiwan Plus.
03:02All right, go to session with Nicodemapuna public.
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