Voter turnout nears record low amid anger over fire

AWANI

Hong Kong’s Legislative Council elections saw a near-record low turnout, with less than 32% voting, as public anger over a deadly apartment fire overshadowed government efforts to boost participation.

Transcript

00:00Hong Kong saw a near-record low turnout in Sunday's Legislative Council elections,

00:05with less than 32% of voters taking part.

00:08Despite a major push to boost participation, including extended polling hours,

00:13fewer than 1.3 million people voted slightly above the record low set in 2021.

00:19Efforts to increase turnout were overshadowed by public anger over a daily apartment fire,

00:25raising questions about government oversight and accountability.

00:30Since an electoral overhaul in 2021, only pro-Beijing patriots are allowed to run,

00:36and fewer seats are directly elected.

00:39Boycotting the vote has become one of the few ways Hong Kongers can safely show their dissatisfaction.

00:44The elections came amid the shadow of the Taipo apartment fire, which killed at least 159 people.

00:51Calls for government accountability over alleged safety violations have been met

00:55with a crackdown under national security laws,

00:58and at least three people have reportedly been arrested for their activism.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended