#HONGKONG: Chief Executive Lam Won't Seek Re-Election

[world politics news]

Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s current chief executive, has said she will not not run in the upcoming small-circle leadership election.

Lam announced that she would not enter the race on Monday, a day after the nomination period for candidates, which lasts until April 16, opened.

The city’s leadership race was originally scheduled for March 27. In mid-February, Lam and the Executive Council evoked emergency powers to push the election date to May 8, citing the seriousness of the fifth wave of Covid-19.

Lam has presided over a crackdown on free speech and freedom of the press in the city-state, which has become increasingly aligned with mainland Communist China. This, despite the 1997 treaty with Britain that created the "one state, two systems" agreement that allowed for self-government and a separate, western-style legal system until the year 2047.

Under Lam, that legal system has also now more closely aligned itself with mainland China.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#HONGKONG: Chief Executive Injured In Fall

[world politics news]

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam has been released after a night in hospital where she was treated for a bone fracture.

The injury in her right elbow was caused by a fall at the 64-year-old's residence.

Lam “attended the hospital by herself and was diagnosed with a minor right elbow fracture after checking by doctors,” a statement released by the Chief Executive’s Office at around midnight on Tuesday read.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#HONGKONG: Gov't Postpones Elections For A Year, Blames Uptick In COVID-19 Cases

[world politics news]

The Hong Kong government has postponed September's parliamentary elections by a year, saying it is necessary amid a rise in coronavirus infections.

Hong Kong is currently experiencing a spike in Covid-19 infections, and reported 121 new cases on Friday.

However, the opposition has accused the government of using the pandemic as a pretext to stop people from voting.

On Thursday, the government banned 12 pro-democracy candidates from running in the elections.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#HONGKONG: Gov't Dismisses Concerns Over New Security Law

[world politics news]

Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam has said other countries "have no place" interfering in the territory, as she robustly defended a controversial national security law planned by China.

The law would ban treason, secession, sedition and subversion. Critics say it would limit the city's freedoms. Many fear it would be the end of the "One Nation, Two Systems" arrangement made between the city-state and the Communist Chinese mainland in 1997 when it was handed back by the British.

But in her weekly press conference, Ms Lam said it was a "responsible" move to protect the law-abiding majority.

She denied that the law would curtail the rights of Hong Kongers.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#HONGKONG: Gov't Will Give Every Resident Free Face Masks

[world politics news]

The Hong Kong government has plans to distribute locally designed reusable face masks to all residents. Chief Executive Carrie Lam and cabinet ministers who attended the press conference were all wearing the copper-linen CuMasks, which come in three sizes.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#HONGKONG: ANTI-GOV'T CANDIDATES SWEEP LOCAL ELECTION; 71% RECORD TURN OUT

[world politics news]

Hong Kong’s voters have turned out in record numbers to deliver a landslide for pro-democracy campaigners and a powerful rebuke to the government in local elections that were widely seen as a proxy referendum on the city’s protest movement.

Both in absolute numbers and in turnout rates it was easily the biggest exercise in democratic participation that Hong Kong has seen, with many voters waiting more than an hour to cast their ballots.

Nearly 3 million people had voted, representing more than 71% of the electorate and nearly half of Hong Kong’s population. Many had never voted before.

Many long-serving and pro-Beijing councilors we're ousted by young Pro-Democracy candidates. Pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho lost re-election by over 1,200 votes to Hong Kong Democrats candidte Cary Lo. Ho was reviled by the opposition and seen shaking hands with alleged triad gangs who attached protesters.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#HONGKONG: Leader Carrie Lam's Approval Rating Sinks To New Lows Amid Ongoing Unrest

[world politics news]

Hong Kong  Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s popularity rating has dropped to a record low of 20.2 points out of 100, a recent public opinion survey has found. The rating is the lowest among any post-colonial chief executive, according to the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute.

The institute interviewed 1,038 people between October 17 and 23 over the phone.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#HONGKONG: Leader Carrie Lam Shouted Down In Legislature While Giving Speech

[world politics news]

Hong Kong Leader Carrie Lam attempted to deliver her annual policy address today in the Legislative Council, the first time the governing body had met since June, when protested surrounded the building, preventing lawmakers from entering to debate the controversial extradition bill that sparked the protests that have gripped Hong Kong for months.

But Lam's speech was interrupted by pro-democracy lawmakers shouting slogans, including “Five demands, not one less”, which refers to their demands for an independent inquiry into police behaviour, amnesty for those arrested, democratic reforms to give Hong Kong residents universal suffrage, the withdrawal of the emergency law which allows for a ban of face masks during protests, a halt to categorising the protests as riots.

She left the chamber after only one minute into her speech, which was later given by video.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#HONGKONG: Controversial Mainland China Extradition Bill Withdrawn After Weeks Of Violent Protests

[world politics news]

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has said she will withdraw the controversial extradition bill which triggered months of protests.

The proposal, introduced in April, would have allowed criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China.

The bill was suspended in June when Ms Lam called it "dead", but she stopped short of withdrawing it.

Full withdrawal is one of five key demands of protesters, who are also calling for full democratic rights.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#HONGKONG: Gov't Caves On Mainland Extradition Bill Over Fears China Will Use It To Crush Dissent

[world politics news]

Hong Kong's government is backing down and suspending its highly unpopular extradition bill after a week of large-scale demonstrations and political violence in the streets. The government maintains the legislation's intention of plugging legal loopholes is still valid. Many, however, feared it would allow Communist China to demand the extradition of Hong Kong opponents of the regime to face unfair trails on the mainland.

Hong Kong is self-governing, but is growing ever closer to Communist China and will eventually merge with it in 2047, 50 years after the 1997 British hand-over control to China with a guarantee of "one nation, two systems" governing the island city-state.

At a press conference Saturday, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, using the words "suspension" and "halting" interchangeably, admitted her government had not communicated the need for the bill well enough. "I feel deep sorrow and regret that deficiencies in our work – and various other factors – have stirred up substantial controversies," she said.

The reversal came in the face of two massive protests last week, one ending in violence and injuries to 80 people.

Organisers of the historic march on June 9, the Civil Human Rights Front, and the pro-democracy Confederation of Trade Unions have vowed to carry on with another march this Sunday.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#HONGKONG: New Poll: Chief Executive Carrie Lam Has Lowest Approval Ratings Since Taking Office In 2017

[world politics news]

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam has recorded her lowest approval ratings since taking office in July 2017, according to a survey conducted by the University of Hong Kong.

Thirty-two percent of respondents supported Lam as the city's leader, while 52%  were opposed – giving her a net approval rate of negative 20%. All three indicators hit record lows.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#HONGKONG: City's Leader "Speechless" After Separatist Party Leader Sends Letter To US Urging City-State To Be Expelled From World Trade Org

[world politics news]

Hong Kong National Party leader Andy Chan Ho-tin last Saturday published an open letter calling for both the city of Hong Kong and mainland China's membership in the World Trade Organization to be revoked, citing a "rapid deterioration of freedoms" in the city and a loss of autonomy under Chinese rule. The letter drew a strong rebuke from Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, the elected leader of Hong Kong, saying she could "not find the adjectives" to describe how inappropriate it had been. Last month, police recommended that the Security Bureau ban the The Hong Kong National Party under the Societies Ordinance as a threat to national security.



[FULL STORY HERE]

#HONGKONG: Small Pro-Independence Group To Be Banned After Police Say It Advocated Violence; Pressure From Beijing Suspected

[world politics news]

The small, separatist Hong Kong National Party could be banned after police say it advocated violence. The move is raising concerns that the Communist Mainland, ahead of a turnover of the city to China in the 2040s, could be losing its freedom of political expression. The fears are being given credence  after Hong Kong Leader Carrie Lam said that any advocacy of separatism "will be suppressed." Opponents of the party say its statements that it would take "any steps necessary" to achieve its political goals prompted police concerns. The party was given 21 days to respond to the charges.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#HONGKONG: No Room For Independence Talk, Says Incoming Beijing-Backed Leader

[world politics news]

Hong Kong leader-elect Carrie Lam says there is no room for moves toward independence for the former British colony, which she says needs the support of the central government in Beijing to boost economic development over the next five years. Lam was in Beijing this week after Chinese Premier Li Keqiang presented her with the official letter of appointment as chief executive, paving the way for her to take office on July 1.

[FULL STORY HERE]