A District Council election candidate in Tuen Mun has accused his rival of foul play as Sunday’s race sees a huge turnout.
Pro-democracy activist Michael Mo is running against So Shiu-shing of the New People’s Party.
Mo said over 30 people speaking Hokkien were seen taking photos and shaking hands with his pro-Beijing rival within the no-canvassing area outside the local polling station. So – the incumbent district councillor – has been working in the Sam Shing area for decades.
[無懼奧步．及早投票]…
Posted by 巫堃泰 Michael Mo on Saturday, 23 November 2019
The group also handed out cards with QR codes to its members inside the no-canvassing zone, Mo said, according to a video his team received. So has denied any wrongdoing.
“This act is a form of harassment towards voters outside who are thinking about going out to vote,” Mo said, adding that he sought to file a complaint but election officers did not investigate.
“Two election officers said they did not see any incidents,” Mo said. “They said they cannot do anything.”
Mo said cars with cross-border license plates transported the Hokkien-speaking people and elderly people to polling stations.
He also said the riot police in the area have been demanding that cars entering the area leave, and insisting that people cannot park their vehicles to go and vote.
“Is this even a fair election?” he asked.
Sunday’s race is taking place amid a high-security presence. By 3.30pm, there was a 47.26 per cent voter turnout rate – a higher turnout than the entire 2015 race.
‘No evidence at all’
New People’s Party lawmaker Regina Ip came to Tuen Mun in support of her party’s candidate, So.
Responding to Mo’s claims, Ip said Mo can file complaints to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
Ip and So denied they had organised any groups to go and vote. Ip said So enjoyed support in the area and did not need to drive people in to cast their ballot.
“There are more than one million Hokkien people in Hong Kong. This is nothing special. This is no evidence at all,” Ip said.
So said many residents voluntarily gave people lifts to go and vote. “Our team did not organise this,” So said.
Ip also said that most voters in Sam Shing were local residents, and those vehicles who were blocked by police may belong to tourists, as Sam Shing is a tourist hotspot.
“[Mo] is only creating speculation,” Ip said.
Meanwhile, pro-Beijing lawmaker Kenneth Lau, who is a voter in the area, appeared to cast his ballot as he posed with Ip and So in support.
Hong Kong Free Press relies on direct reader support. Help safeguard independent journalism and press freedom as we invest more in freelancers, overtime, safety gear & insurance during this summer’s protests. 10 ways to support us.
