Hong Kong’s pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong barred from election

Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong said on Tuesday that he had been disqualified from running in Hong Kong’s district council elections. The vote is set to take place in November.

Hong Kong’s Electoral Affairs Commission said his nomination was found to be “invalid” and the government separately said Wong did not meet the requirements of electoral laws.

The government issued a statement saying the nomination of a candidate, whom it did not identify, was ruled invalid. It indicated the problem related to the candidate advocating “self-determination” for Hong Kong, which it said conflicts with the requirement for candidates to declare they will pledge allegiance to the city and uphold its constitution. 

Wong was at the forefront of the 2014 pro-democracy Umbrella Movement and has been outspoken over the course of the territory’s months-long protests against the government this year.

Read more: Macau: Is Hong Kong’s neighbor China’s ‘poster child’?

The 23-year-old activist said he was the only candidate to be barred from participating in the election. Wong and other pro-democracy activists were disqualified from running in previous elections. “It proved how Beijing manipulate the election with political censorship and screening,” Wong wrote on Twitter.

Mass protests

Wong is currently on bail after being charged with inciting and participating in an unauthorized assembly outside police headquarters on June 21.

Hong Kong has been rocked by mass demonstrations over the past several months. The unrest was triggered by proposed extradition legislation that would have allowed Hong Kongers on trial to be extradited to places including mainland China.

Hong Kong has been rocked by mass demonstrations over the past several months

The protests, which forced the Hong Kong government to withdraw the bill, have since morphed into a wider movement calling for democratic reforms in the Chinese special administrative region. 

The anti-government protesters are angry about what they see as creeping Chinese interference in Hong Kong, which returned to China in 1997 under a “one country, two systems” formula intended to guarantee freedoms that are not on the mainland.

In more than three months of unrest, the protesters have attacked the legislature and Beijing’s main Liaison Office, occupied the airport, thrown petrol bombs at police, vandalized metro stations and set fires on the streets.

• Hong Kong protests rattle global firms

  Disneyland footfall drops

  The unrest in Hong Kong is prompting people to stay away from Walt Disney’s Disneyland theme park in the city. The US company’s chief executive, Bob Iger, told analysts that visits to the park were significantly suffering because of the protests. “We will feel it in the quarter that we’re currently in, and we’ll see how long the protests go on,” he said on an earnings call.

• Hong Kong protests rattle global firms

  Turbulence at Cathay Pacific

  Hong Kong’s flagship carrier said ticket sales fell in July as fewer people travelled into the city. The protests are also hurting future bookings at the airline. Cathay Pacific found itself into further trouble after Beijing asked the airline to bar crew members who had taken part in the demonstrations from flying into mainland China.

• Hong Kong protests rattle global firms

  Hotel business hit

  Intercontinental Hotels, which owns Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn chains, said earlier this month the unrest in Hong Kong was hurting demand. Declining tourist and corporate arrivals are also putting a strain on the businesses of Marriot and Wynn hotels, who expect the protests to hit their second-half results.

• Hong Kong protests rattle global firms

  Luxury shoppers stay away

  The unrest has taken a toll on popular luxury brands such as Cartier and Prada, which have built a strong presence in the city to cater to the rising affluent consumers from mainland China. Cartier-owner Richemont said its sales were hit because of store closures and a fall in tourist arrivals, especially from China. Italian fashion brand Prada’s business was also affected by the protests.

• Hong Kong protests rattle global firms

  Retail sales fall

  Retail sales, a key part of the city’s economy, fell nearly 7% in June, hurt by the mass protests. Shopkeepers see a steeper fall in July and August. They say tourist arrivals halved last month.

• Hong Kong protests rattle global firms

  ‘Difficult economic environment’

  Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan warned on Sunday that the city was entering “a very difficult economic environment” amid weakening trade and slowing growth. He said the protests had hurt Hong Kong’s reputation of being a safe city for tourists and businesses. The city’s leader, Carrie Lam, has already warned of the economic fallout from the unrest.

  Author: Ashutosh Pandey

‘Very supportive’

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam has ruled out finding a political resolution before ending protest violence. She has also warned that the city is at risk of falling into a recession as the protests hit sectors like tourism and retail particularly hard.

Furthermore, Lam denied what she called “rumors” of Beijing’s alleged plan to replace her by March 2020, saying that China’s central government has been “very supportive” of her attempts to calm the situation in the special administrative region. 

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam has ruled out finding a political resolution before ending protest violence

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday morning, Lam called a report by the Financial Times which detailed the alleged replacement plan “very malicious” and “maybe politically driven speculation.”

The British newspaper, citing anonymous sources, reported last week that the Chinese leadership wanted to appoint an “interim” chief executive for Hong Kong. 

sri,jcg/dr,stb (AP, Reuters, dpa)

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