Chief Executive Carrie Lam vows Hong Kong’s district council elections will be held on time – despite mainland media calling citywide peace a prerequisite
- Lam says: ‘As of today, we still very much hope to hold this election and will do our utmost to make sure the elections are held as scheduled’
- Her remarks come as pro-Beijing camp calls for postponement of district council polls, citing protest violence and candidates’ safety
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has pledged to make sure district council elections are held as scheduled – despite mainland state media saying for the first time that a return to peace was a prerequisite for fair elections in the city.
Lam, speaking on Tuesday ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting, said she did not yet see the need for a deadline to decide whether to postpone or cancel the district polls. She noted, however, that the offices of some candidates had been damaged and their personal safety was at risk.
“[These candidates] question whether it would be a fair election,” Lam said.
Lam emphasised that the rights of more than 4 million Hong Kong voters were at stake in the district council elections, which are set to be held on November 24.
“As of today, we still very much hope to hold this election and will do our utmost to make sure the elections are held as scheduled,” she said. More than 4.1 million Hongkongers are registered to vote in this year’s elections, according to official figures.
