Postponing Polls Would Be More Divisive: Academic

A political analyst said on Thursday that the situation in Hong Kong is not dangerous enough to warrant cancelling this month's district council elections and warned that postponing them would be counterproductive and divisive.

Cheung Chor-yung from City University's Department of Public Policy said the elections are a kind of mechanism where people can resolve their differences peacefully and it's time for the government to show it won't be intimidated.

Candidates vying for district council seats have come under attack over the last few days with a pro-Beijing lawmaker receiving a minor stab wound while campaigning, and pro-democracy district councillor Andrew Chiu having part of his ear bitten off.

Cheung said the situation is worrying but not catastrophic. "So it's time for the government to show it won't be intimidated and elections will be held normally, and [for it to] implement good measures to protect people from intimidation," he said.

He told RTHK's Janice Wong that if the elections are cancelled or postponed it will be politically counterproductive and even more divisive.

But speaking on the RTHK radio programme Millenium, executive councillor Ip Kwok-him expressed doubts as to whether election campaigning could continue in a fair and peaceful manner.

He suggested the government decide by November 17 – a week before the polls – if the elections should go ahead.