Chinese Army deployment in Hong Kong

[szechuan]

If people in one state write in one candidate and he gets majority, it would be a miracle.

It's still a Democracy.

If you want to talk about gotchas, in China people can also vote in local elections. See? Democracy.

Democratic centralism is a Leninist Democratic Practice, a Communist Ideology.

Not a representative Democracy like the west.

1. It exists in China, but doesn't exist in HK.

Yes it does.

For anti-Chinese protests demanding some things from mainland is weird.

They are not.

2. They are on small island that has been fully developed. There is nowhere to build new houses and they well know it. So its a demand that cannot be realistically accomplished.While it exists in other countries, housing is built on undeveloped land. There is no undeveloped land in HK.

Wrong.

[Easo]

You can always find people asking for help in any country. Doesn't mean they represent majority. This event was orchestrated by US, so it got special attention and massive media coverage.

Conspiracy theories are not allowed on this board.

[Remilia]

https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/compone...3-20191120.htm
Yup...
Other Hong Kongers were there.

[Rasulis]

Early results in Hong Kong district council elections show pro-democracy parties sweeping establishment aside

Early results compiled by the South China Morning Post showed pro-democracy parties taking 64 of the first 69 seats to be declared, and pro-Beijing parties taking just five. Several prominent figures in the protest movement won; several pro-establishment figures were unseated.

The turnout — more than 69 percent of the 4.13 million eligible voters had cast ballots an hour before polls closed — was significantly higher than the 1.4 million who voted in local elections in 2015. Voter registration was also a record high, driven in part by 390,000 first-time voters.

Many people waited in hours-long lines that snaked around city blocks, an unusual experience for Hong Kong residents. Almost every neighborhood in the city has seen violent unrest at some point over the six-month long protest movement, with police firing tear gas and rubber bullets and protesters countering with molotov cocktails and projectiles.

District councilors’ responsibilities are largely local, but they are given 117 seats on the 1,200-member election committee, dominated by pro-Beijing groups and business interests, that selects Hong Kong’s chief executive.

“Everyone just asks what side you are on, pro-democracy, or pro-establishment,” said Sabrina Koo, a pro-democracy candidate. “Only after that do they ask us what our plans are for the community and about local issues.”

Voters, relishing the opportunity to express their democratic rights, were unperturbed by the lines. Gloria Lai, 40, took her two children to a polling station close to a major protest flash point in Wan Chai: A road that in the past months has seen tear gas, water cannons and massive fires. They waited an hour to vote.

“I want my children to always remember that it is their right to vote, it is their right to voice out their opinion, and this is something to be treasured,” she said. “We don’t have the right to vote for our chief executive, but we have this.”

The contest for district council is the only fully democratic election in Hong Kong. The city’s leader is not directly elected. Only half of the Legislative Council, the lawmaking body, is chosen by the people.

Another voter in Wan Chai, which is currently represented by pro-Beijing politicians, said he flew back to Hong Kong from Britain, where he has lived for the past decade, to cast his ballot. The 39-year-old man, who asked to be identified only by his last name, Chan, said he has never seen such lines in an election, including in Britain.

“This is the best way to express our views, it is the right way,” he said. “We don’t want violence on the streets, but if we don’t have a way to express our political views in any other way, that will happen.”

It looks like a wipe out for Pro-Beijing local politicians.

[Kokolums]

If you think China is communist, it really shows your lack knowledge and that you are brainwashed by western propaganda. China has one party system, but it is not communist. Just because they didn't do a suicide system collapse like USSR did to move to capitalism, doesn't mean they are commies. One party system that is similar to dictatorship - yes, commies - no, capitalism - yes.

The ruling party in China just seeks stability. They wish to stamp out subversives. That's why they would align with the right instead of the left in Western Civilization. It doesn't matter if both the Chinese ruling party and western liberals both had their genesis in the left. China views western liberals as subversives. That's all that matters. China does not want subversives in THEIR world.

[Rasulis]

Ouch. Pro-democracy candidates secured a clear majority and took 390 of 452 seats, just short of 90%



Map needs updating. According to the latest news, 17 out of 18 districts are now controlled by pro-democracy.

[Corvus]

The results don't make much of a difference. They are only for district council elections. The legislative council that runs Hong Kong only has 50% of its seats decided by elections - the other 50% are reserved for representatives of functional constituencies (ie the CCP gets to choose who sits in them)

[Rasulis]

The results don't make much of a difference. They are only for district council elections. The legislative council that runs Hong Kong only has 50% of its seats decided by elections - the other 50% are reserved for representatives of functional constituencies (ie the CCP gets to choose who sits in them)

I know that. I posted that at the very start of this thread. This still gives the pro-democracy another 117 electoral seats and show Beijing that they have less support than they anticipated among the populace.

[Kokolums]

I know that. I posted that at the very start of this thread. This still gives the pro-democracy another 117 electoral seats and show Beijing that they have less support than they anticipated among the populace.

how do you know what they anticipated?

[Elegiac]

The results don't make much of a difference. They are only for district council elections. The legislative council that runs Hong Kong only has 50% of its seats decided by elections - the other 50% are reserved for representatives of functional constituencies (ie the CCP gets to choose who sits in them)

In practice, no.

But consider that we've had quite a few PRC shills claiming that the majority of the population is on Beijing's side and that the protesters represent a vocal minority. With such high turnout and a clear mandate for pro-democracy candidates, that lie has been put to rest.

[Rasulis]

In practice, no.

But consider that we've had quite a few PRC shills claiming that the majority of the population is on Beijing's side and that the protesters represent a vocal minority. With such high turnout and a clear mandate for pro-democracy candidates, that lie has been put to rest.

It definitely shattered the “silent majority supports Beijing” talking point that has been circulating throughout pro-Beijing supporters.

It also increased the number of electoral seats for the pro-democracy to around 540 by last counts. Although still short 61 seats from majority, it is an increase of more than 33%. It could be a factor in a three-way race.

Many of the pro-Beijing politicians that lose their seats are also on the Legislative Council. It would not look good to Beijing if more than 90% of the 50% elected council members are pro-democracy. Also, it gives them more say in matters of local funding, education, business, etc. Not all the Legislative Council matters are of earth-shattering consequences.

[roxfm]

The voter turnout at HK was nothing short of phenomenal. Over 70% of the eligible (minus minors, and expatriates who aren't permanent residents) voting population came out to vote and supported a pro-democracy movement. I'm happy that my vote counted too!

This was a huge victory for the protesters and the youth because they know now that they have the public support of their views. What will happen now? No one really knows. But if more power could be added to the district council and more members could be part of the leg-co in HK, then we really have a start of something special. China needs to concede the 50% leg-co seats that it owns. But sadly, it won't.

[Easo]

You know it means something when you have record high turnout (and 70%+ would be great number for basically everywhere in the world) and that China's official media mostly is silent about it. It is so bad that they, masters of propaganda bullshit, cannot spin it positively, so better to just ignore it and print somewhere on the 5th page in small letters.

[Rasulis]

You know it means something when you have record high turnout (and 70%+ would be great number for basically everywhere in the world) and that China's official media mostly is silent about it. It is so bad that they, masters of propaganda bullshit, cannot spin it positively, so better to just ignore it and print somewhere on the 5th page in small letters.

What could they say?

Despite all the unrests, Alibaba just raised 11.2 billion on their Hong Kong IPO offering on November 25. That's the largest IPO offering in history of IPO. The Han Seng index is the best performing index in the whole world period. These are some of the reasons why China is handling Hong Kong with a velvet glove and not sending the PLA to quell the demonstrations.