Hong Kong went to the polls to elect a new Legislative Committee (LegCo) yesterday, using a new electoral system for the first time.
The new system will significantly dilute democracy in the territory, according to observers.
According to the BBC only 20 of the LegCo’s 90 seats will be directly elected. Forty are appointed by the Election Committee, which is seen as being close to Beijing. The other seats are chosen by bodies representing groups such as Hong Kong businesses. These representatives are also seen as generally being aligned to Beijing.
In addition, a new policy passed in March means all candidates are vetted by China first.
Pro-democracy groups have urged people to boycott the election. Although it is not illegal to abstain from voting or to cast a blank ballot is it illegal to encourage others to do so, according to the BBC.
Results are expected today.