Hong Kong delays poll by a year as virus rages

HONG KONG, July 31

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Friday postponed the September 6 election for the city's legislature for a year because of a spike in Covid cases, dealing a blow to the pro-democracy opposition hoping to make gains in the vote.

The opposition had aimed to ride a wave of resentment of a new national security law that Beijing imposed on the city on June 30 to win a majority in the Legislative Council, where half the seats are directly elected with the other half filled mostly by pro-Beijing appointees.

The postponement comes after 12 pro-democracy candidates were disqualified from running in the poll, for reasons, including perceived subversive intentions, opposition to the new security law and campaigning to win a legislation-blocking majority.

Lam, who said the election would be held on September 5 next year, told reporters the decision was the most difficult she had made in seven months and it was aimed at safeguarding people's health.

"We have 3 million voters going out in one day across Hong Kong, such flow of people would cause high risk of infection," Lam said. Beijing-backed Lam said she had to invoke an emergency law to make the postponement and no political considerations were involved in the decision. China's parliament would decide how to fill the legislative vacuum caused by it.

The poll would have been the former British colony's first official vote since Beijing imposed the security law to tackle what China broadly defines as secession, subversion and terrorism, with punishment of up to life in prison. — Reuters