Hong Kong kicks off leadership polls with sole candidate
ABC News
A Hong Kong election committee is voting for the city’s only leadership candidate, John Lee, who is expected to win and become Hong Kong’s next chief executive
HONG KONG -- A Hong Kong election committee is voting Sunday for the city’s only leadership candidate, John Lee, who is expected to win and become Hong Kong’s next chief executive.
The committee, comprised of nearly 1,500 largely pro-Beijing members, is voting in a secret ballot that will last 2 1/2 hours. Lee needs more than 750 votes to win the election.
As the only candidate in the polls, Lee is expected to win easily, especially since he has Beijing’s endorsement and last month obtained 786 nominations from members of the Election Committee in support of his candidacy.
The election on Sunday follows major changes to Hong Kong’s electoral laws last year to ensure that only “patriots” loyal to Beijing can hold office. The legislature was also reorganized to all but eliminate opposition voices.
