Turnout fears as Hong Kong votes under shadow of deadly housing-block blaze

HONG KONG, Dec 7 — Hong Kong will head to the polls on Sunday to elect new lawmakers under Beijing’s “patriots only” electoral framework, but government efforts to boost voter turnout have been eclipsed by the city’s deadliest fire in decades.

Polling stations will open at 7.30am across the financial hub to select 90 legislators, though only 20 seats will be filled through direct elections. Political campaigning was abruptly suspended after a massive blaze tore through the Wang Fuk Court housing blocks in northern Hong Kong in late November, killing at least 159 people.

Chief Executive John Lee on Friday urged residents to vote, saying participation would signal support for reforms and solidarity with the fire victims. He also announced that the first sitting of the new Legislative Council would table a bill to address relief and rebuilding efforts. An independent, judge-led committee has been formed to investigate the incident, which damaged seven apartment blocks undergoing renovation. As of late Wednesday, police had arrested 15 people linked to construction firms on suspicion of manslaughter.

Authorities also reportedly detained at least three individuals for sedition following the fire, including a 24-year-old student who distributed flyers calling for government accountability. AFP later witnessed the student leaving a police station.

Hong Kong’s legislature elections once featured robust contests between pro-Beijing and pro-democracy camps, with the latter often securing about 60 percent of the popular vote. That dynamic shifted after Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020, followed by a 2021 overhaul of the electoral system that reduced the number of directly elected seats and ensured only “patriots” could hold office. The first election under the new rules recorded a historic low turnout of 30 percent.

Since then, many pro-democracy lawmakers have been jailed, resigned, or left the city. Sunday’s election will again proceed without the two largest pro-democracy parties, after the Civic Party disbanded in 2023 and the Democratic Party began winding down.

Ahead of the fire, authorities had rolled out extensive voter mobilisation efforts, including citywide promotions, extended polling hours and longer public transport services on election day. Some employers have also pledged to give staff half a day off to vote.

About one-third of outgoing lawmakers — including long-serving figures such as Regina Ip and Legislative Council president Andrew Leung — are not seeking re-election. New faces include Olympic fencing champion Vivian Kong, who is contesting a seat in the tourism functional constituency, where winners are chosen by industry representatives rather than through a public vote. — AFP