Hong Kong’s leader defended the rules for upcoming local elections as open and fair Tuesday after an electoral overhaul effectively barred the city’s remaining pro-democracy activists from joining the race.
The city’s largest pro-democracy party, the Democratic Party, will be absent in December's district council election for the first time since its establishment in 1994. Party chair Lo Kin-hei said he and other members could not secure enough nominations under the new rules authorities introduced to ensure that “patriots administer Hong Kong." Other smaller groups from the camp had the same problem.
