Occupy Hong Kong

[telemann.livejournal.com]

On Sunday, China's National People's Congress announced that Beijing intends to pre-screen candidates in the election of Hong Kong's next chief executive. Thousands of democracy activists took to the streets of Hong Kong upon hearing the news. With those activists threatening to shut down the city's central business district, reaction in both Hong Kong and mainland China remains sharply divided over the wisdom of potentially crippling the local economy for the sake of democratic freedom.

Central government leaders in Beijing have promised universal suffrage in Hong Kong's 2017 election, but Sunday's announcement confirmed the fears of democracy activists: The two or three candidates in the election will be required to gain 50 percent approval from a committee dominated by pro-Beijing representatives, effectively allowing the Chinese government to set the parameters of electoral choice.

"Hong Kong people will have one person, one vote, but Beijing will select all the candidates -- puppets," said Martin Lee, founder of Hong Kong's Democratic Party, at a rally on Sunday evening. "What's the difference between a rotten apple, a rotten orange and a rotten banana?"

More here.

Comments

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

I can imagine some joking that this is not too far from us,
in that all our candidates must be corporate-approved.