Hong Kong sees record-low turnout for 'Patriots Only' election

Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Hong Kong's first district elections, purged of opposition politicians under an overhaul of the elections system, saw a record-low voter turnout of 27.5%, according to official election data.

The so-called Patriots Only district elections were held Sunday, and attracted about 1.19 million eligible voters to cast ballots, despite polling hours being extended to midnight due to a system issue with the Electronic Poll Register.

The turnout is not only a record low but is a great decline from the 71% of registered voters, or nearly 3 million people, who cast ballots during the last election of 2019, which occurred during protests in the former British colony over a proposed extradition law.

The protests, which brought the city to a standstill that summer, were followed by mainland China instituting a controversial national security law the next year that punishes widely defined acts Beijing says harm the state with draconian penalties and an overhaul of the city's electoral system to ensure only so-called patriots could hold office.

The national security law has resulted in the arrests of hundreds of people and the silence of pro-democracy newspapers as well as protesters and opposition politicians fleeing the country out of fear of potential arrest.

"These were not 'patriots only' but 'traitors only' elections," Kevin Yam, a self-exiled pro-democracy lawyer wanted by the Hong Kong police under the national security law, said in a statement on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

A spokesperson from Britain's Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office chastised the election, stating it was eliminating "meaningful opposition" from Hong Kong's electoral system.

"We strongly urge the Hong Kong government to uphold its international commitments and respect the civil rights and freedoms of Hong Kong citizens," the spokesperson said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee celebrated the election in a statement on Monday, calling it "a high-quality election."

"I believe that after taking office on Jan. 1, next year, the 7th District Council will be able to focus on affairs and grasp the views of the community, so that the government can more effectively grasp the pulse of the districts," he said.