December 7, 2025 | 11:38 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Polling stations opened on Sunday morning in Hong Kong as voters elected lawmakers to the city's Legislative Council.
The ballot comes days after a massive fire at an apartment complex killed at least 159 people, the deadliest blaze in Hong Kong in decades.
Election seen as a gauge of public sentiment after deadly fire
Election campaigns were suspended after the fire and were subdued in the days after as the city mourned.
A low turnout has been predicted amid public anger over the authorities' handling of the fire at Wang Fuk Court, which was undergoing renovations.
On Friday, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee called on voters to head to the polls and use their ballots to enact reform and help support the victims of the blaze, many of whom have been left homeless.
"While we mourn the victims and support those affected, we must also be united and support reform together," Lee said.
He added that a bill to discuss relief and reconstruction efforts would be introduced at the first meeting of the new Legislative Council.
"They will certainly work with the government to promote reforms, diligently review funding, and draft relevant laws," said Lee, who last week said a "judge-led independent committee" would investigate the causes of the fire.
Since the blaze on November 27, the Hong Kong police have arrested 15 people from construction companies that were working on the apartment complex on suspicion of manslaughter.
At least three people who called for more official accountability have also been reportedly arrested for sedition since the fire.
'Patriots-only' election
The vote is the second since the central government in Beijing reformed the city's electoral system in 2021 to ensure that only "patriots" who are loyal to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) can govern the territory.
The reform was introduced in the wake of massive pro-democracy protests in 2019.
A year later, Beijing introduced the National Security Law that saw a major crackdown on government dissidents and democracy activists. Many have either been jailed or have fled Hong Kong.
The first election held under the new rules in 2021 saw a record low turnout of 30%.
Read: Hong Kong Fire: 129 Indonesian Nationals Confirmed Safe, One Still Missing
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