Postponing the election for a year is based on a false contention there is no other lawful way to cope with the Covid-19 threat. Officials have not explained why a shorter postponement is insufficient or why they cannot use existing legislative provisions to deal with the dilemma.
The Basic Law does not give Hong Kong’s chief executive the power to ‘officially proclaim’ a state of emergency. The city’s leader thus has no lawful power to make emergency regulations that would comply with Hong Kong’s international treaty obligations and own bill of rights.