Hong Kong govt's 'disproportionate' postponement of polls condemned by Five Eyes alliance

The ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence alliance has expressed concern over the Hong Kong government’s ‘unjust’ disqualification of candidates and ‘disproportionate’ postponement of Legislative Council elections. The alliance includes the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom

The alliance, in a joint statement, said that the disqualification and postponement have undermined the democratic process that has been fundamental to the former British colony’s stability and prosperity. 

The statement read, "We the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, and the United States Secretary of State are gravely concerned by the Hong Kong government's unjust disqualification of candidates and disproportionate postponement of Legislative Council elections”.  It further added, “We express deep concern at Beijing's imposition of the new National Security Law, which is eroding the Hong Kong people's fundamental rights and liberties”. 

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Hong Kong urged to hold elections

The statement comes after Hong Kong Chief Carrie Lam announced that the elections have been postponed from September 6, 2020, to September 5, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, the alliance urged the Hong Kong government to ‘reinstate’ the eligibility of disqualified candidates so that the elections can take place in an environment conducive to the exercise of democratic rights and freedoms as enshrined in the Basic Law. 

The ‘Five Eyes’ alliance said, “Beijing promised autonomy and freedoms under the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle to the Hong Kong people in the Sino-British Joint Declaration, a U.N.-registered treaty, and must honour its commitments. We urge the Hong Kong government to hold the elections as soon as possible”. 

(With ANI inputs) 

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