BBC Chinese recently reported that the results of the Hong Kong Legislative Council election were released on December 20. Eighty-nine of the ninety seats were captured by pro-mainland candidates. Only the social welfare functional constituency seat was filled by the candidate who claimed not to be pro-mainland. This is the first election in Hong Kong after the implementation of the HK National Security Law and after drastically revising the election system to implement “Patriots Run Hong Kong.” Nathan Law, the former Hong Kong Legislative Council member in exile, said that the low voter turnout rate indicates that the Hong Kong people are “boycotting” this election. It is a strong signal to the international community showing that the people of Hong Kong do not have free and fair elections. The district direct-elections had a turnout rate of 30 percent. Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam said that the Hong Kong government has not set a target for turnout rate. Experts explained that the low voter turnout was expected because the pro-democracy supporters do not have their favorite candidates available (to vote for) and the real opposition has either been jailed or has gone into exile. They have no way to participate in the current system.
Source: BBC Chinese, December 20, 2021
https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-59723776