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Hong Kong third wave: pro-Beijing politicians call for postponement of elections amid coronavirus crisis
- Pro-Beijing heavyweight Tam Yiu-chung questions why officials have not considered the possibility of postponing the Legislative Council polls
- City’s leader Carrie Lam has said there is currently no change in the plans to hold the elections on September 6
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Pro-Beijing politicians cited the risk of Covid-19 to call for the postponement of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council elections, a day after the city’s leader said the polls would go ahead as scheduled in early September.
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Tam Yiu-chung, the city’s sole delegate to China’s top legislative body, on Monday questioned why officials had not considered the possibility of postponing the vote.
“There are only 50 days left. How can the government promise it can get the pandemic under control in 50 days?” he said. “If there is another big outbreak after the elections, how can our society and economy survive?”
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Sunday said there was currently no change in the plans to hold the polls on September 6. “Elections are a very serious matter and cannot be amended casually. But I can only say at this moment, as no one can tell how the epidemic will develop,” she said.
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Hong Kong recorded 73 new Covid-19 infections on Monday and infectious disease experts warned a citywide curfew might be necessary if the latest wave continued to grow.
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