South China Morning Post
Advertisement
Advertisement
Legislative Council elections 2020
Get more with myNEWS
A personalised news feed of stories that matter to you
Learn more
The European Union has issued a statement voicing its concern over the delay to the Legislative Council elections in Hong Kong. Photo: DPA
Hong KongPolitics

Hong Kong’s global reputation weakened by Legislative Council elections move, European Union says

  • EU issues statement saying Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s decision to postpone vote for a year harms city’s standing as ‘free and open society’
  • Move also calls into question ‘rights and freedoms guaranteed under Basic Law’
Legislative Council elections 2020
Chris Lau
Chris Lau
Why you can trust SCMP
The European Union has added its voice to those expressing concern over the delay to Hong Kong’s Legislative Council elections.

On Tuesday, the EU said the year-long postponement could affect democratic rights, and the disqualification of opposition candidates had weakened the city’s reputation as a free society.

This came two days after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the postponement a “regrettable decision”, while British officials described the ban on candidates as undermining the high degree of autonomy the city was guaranteed after its return to China in 1997.
“The proposed postponement by one year of the elections to the Legislative Council through recourse to emergency powers, would delay the renewal of its democratic mandate and call into question the exercise of the democratic rights and freedoms guaranteed under Hong Kong’s Basic Law,” the EU said in a statement.

03:39

Hong Kong Legislative Council elections postponed by a year

Hong Kong Legislative Council elections postponed by a year
“The recent disqualification of pro-democracy candidates, including sitting lawmakers previously democratically elected by the people of Hong Kong, also weakens Hong Kong’s international reputation as a free and open society.

“The protection of civil and political rights in Hong Kong is a fundamental part of the ‘one country, two systems’ principle, which the EU supports.”

Last week, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced the elections, which had been scheduled for September 6, would be delayed for one year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Opposition activists criticised the move, and accused the chief executive of delaying the election because it was going to do well.

Also last week, returning officers, who are civil servants appointed by the Electoral Affairs Commission, invalidated the candidacy of 12 opposition hopefuls in decisions widely praised by Beijing and the Hong Kong government.

German minister urges EU to resist China’s ‘divide-and-rule tactics’

The EU’s statement followed an announcement by France that it would suspend its extradition agreement with Hong Kong after the recent imposition of a national security law.

While Beijing argued the law, which targets secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, was necessary and would affect only a minority of the population, other countries feared it would crush dissent and cause their citizens in Hong Kong to be tried in a mainland court.

Other countries to have suspended their extradition agreements with the city include Germany, and four of the five members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, Britain, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

The United States, which is the fifth member, is also considering suspending its extradition agreement with Hong Kong.

Post