Sharjah24 – Reuters: Fewer than 5,000 Hong Kong people from mostly pro-establishment circles vote on Sunday for candidates vetted as loyal to Beijing, who will pick the city's next China-backed leader.
Pro-democracy candidates are almost absent from Hong Kong's first election since Beijing overhauled the city's electoral system to ensure that "only patriots" rule China's freest city.
Police have ramped up security across the city, with local media reporting 6,000 officers are expected to be deployed to ensure a smooth vote, in which about 4,900 people are expected to cast ballots.
China's rubber-stamp parliament in May changed Hong Kong's electoral system, reducing democratic representation in institutions and introducing the vetting mechanism for election candidates and winners. This all but removed any influence the opposition was able to exert.
The changes also dramatically reduced the influence of the city's powerful tycoons, although groups close to their business interests retain a presence in the 1,500-strong committee that selects Hong Kong's chief executive.
China promised universal suffrage as an ultimate goal for Hong Kong in its mini-constitution, the Basic Law, which also states the city has wide-ranging autonomy from Beijing.
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