Hong Kong¡¯s legislature has approved a sweeping, Beijing-drafted overhaul of the city¡¯s elections, dramatically curtailing the opposition¡¯s ability to participate in government on the same day that authorities banned a massive pro-democracy vigil.
The Legislative Council voted 40-2 to approve measures Thursday creating a review committee to vet candidates for elected office and ensure they are ¡°patriots.¡± All candidates must also be approved by national security officials in the Hong Kong police force to determine whether they can be trusted to uphold local laws and ¡°respect¡± the ruling Communist Party.
The bill¡¯s passage marks the culmination of Beijing¡¯s efforts to take control of how the former British colony chooses its leaders, giving it a veto over candidates for office following historic and sometimes violent unrest in 2019. It effectively ends China¡¯s only experiment with open elections, a vestige of the democratic system implemented during last years of colonial rule.
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