More than 26,000 voters turn out for Hong Kong pro-democracy camp primary to choose candidates for Legco by-elections

Ballot accounts for 45 per cent of the final result, with phone polls forming another 45 per cent and votes from political parties and civic groups comprising 10 per cent

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From left: Alex Chow, Nathan Law, Edward Yiu, Joshua Wong and Eddie Chu meet supporters at Shek Kip Mei Wet Market. Photo: Dickson Lee

Published: 5:15pm, 14 Jan 2018Updated: 4:21pm, 20 Feb 2018

More than 26,000 voters turned out for a primary organised by Hong Kong’s pro-democracy camp on Sunday, as six activists made last-ditch efforts to secure entry into coming by-elections for the city’s legislature.

The camp aimed to pick two candidates for seats representing the constituencies of Kowloon West and New Territories East. The two seats were left vacant last year along with four others after six pro-democracy lawmakers were disqualified for improper oaths of office.

Late on Sunday night after counting had finished, Andrew Chiu Ka-yin, convenor of activist group Power for Democracy, the primary’s co-organiser, said the turnout had been 26,193. Some 25,835 cast their vote by electronic ballot while 358 cast a paper ballot. Chiu had originally estimated that only about 8,000 people would cast a vote.

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Three polling stations were set up in Kowloon West for more than 480,000 potential voters, while New Territories East had five stations for 975,000 voters.

“I believe people are especially angry about the government’s recent moves concerning the justice secretary,” Chiu said of the high turnout. He was referring to the city’s justice chief Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, who has been embroiled in a scandal involving illegal structures at her house since taking office on January 6.

Frederick Fung Kin-kee (left) and Lester Shum hand out fliers. Photo: Dickson Lee

Earlier at noon, there were about 100 voters queuing outside a polling station at Shek Kip Mei in Kowloon West, as academic Edward Yiu Chung-yim, one of the three hopefuls in the primary for that constituency, arrived.