Hundreds of thousands of voters thronged polling stations across Hong Kong on Su...
HONG KONG - Hundreds of thousands of voters thronged polling stations across Hong Kong on Sunday for district polls seen as a key barometer of support for the city’s embattled leader Carrie Lam, who has grappled with nearly six months of often violent protests.
“Some people are afraid the elections will be stopped by unpredictable reasons — maybe some protests,” said Kevin Lai, a 45-year-old IT worker, adding that he had come early to vote for fear of any disruptions later. Beijing-backed Lam cast her ballot in front of television cameras and pledged that her government, widely seen as out of touch with the population, would listen “more intensively” to the views of district council members.“I hope this kind of stability and calm is not only for today’s election, but to show that everyone does not want Hong Kong to fall into a chaotic situation again, hoping to get out of this dilemma, and let us have a fresh start,” Lam said.
Demonstrators are angry at what they see as Chinese meddling in the freedoms promised to the former British colony when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997. They say they are also responding to excessive use of force by police.
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