HK democrats fear disqualifications ahead of key election

Bloomberg

As the leader of one of the largest pro-democracy parties in Hong Kong’s legislature, Alvin Yeung could make history if the city’s opposition wins an unprecedented majority in September elections. Or he could find himself disqualified before the campaign even starts.
The 39-year-old lawyer is among several prospective candidates accused by Chinese authorities of behaviour that opposition politicians fear could be used to bar them from running or expel them after the vote. After rejecting a half dozen “localist” candidates for seeking independence from China four years ago, the government and its supporters have criticised activists by name for a growing range of actions that could run afoul of the new national security legislation and other laws.
China’s top agency for Hong Kong accused Yeung of “glorifying illegal behaviour” in a statement denouncing several other high-profile politicians. At the same time, he was featured on decks of novelty playing cards handed out in the city showing pictures of prominent opposition figures superimposed against prison bars and listing their “crimes.”
“No one in the opposition can guarantee that they would be able to get into the race,” said Yeung, whose Civic Party currently holds five of the Legislative Council’s 70 seats. “The only thing we can do is to stick to our own principles.”
The push has cast fresh doubt over democracy advocates’ hopes of converting the enthusiasm generated by a historic wave of protests in the former British colony last year into real political power. Not only could the opposition use the council to block Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s agenda, it could theoretically force her to resign by repeatedly rejecting her budget proposals.
How the election unfolds may have big consequences the future of Hong Kong, which has become a key friction point between China, the US and the UK. The process is unfolding against the backdrop of a US presidential campaign in which President Donald Trump has sought to run against China, announcing last month that he would “begin the process” of revoking special trade privileges granted to the Asian financial center because of its political autonomy.
The US gave Hong Kong its special status after China agreed with the UK to preserve the city’s capitalist economy and Common Law legal system until at least 2047 under a “one country, two systems” framework. The UK-China negotiations left several controversial items unresolved after the 1997 handover, including plans to expand local elections and enact national security legislation.
Trump levied his threat shortly after the Chinese National People’s Congress (NPC) approved a plan to bypass Hong Kong lawmakers and impose measures to criminalise the harshest criticism of Beijing. The legislation, which local media have said could be enacted before the September 6 election, is expected to provide the government sweeping powers to jail opposition figures or otherwise block them from office.
While details of the measures have yet to be made public, a similar proposal withdrawn after street protests 17 years ago would allow for sentences up to life in prison for offenders convicted of crimes such as sedition and subversion. The legislation could be finalised as soon as the meeting of the NPC’s Standing Committee, although the item isn’t on public agenda.