Hong Kong delays election citing pandemic, but democracy camp sceptical

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Friday postponed a Sept. 6 election to the Chinese-ruled cityࢀ™s legislature by a year because of a rise in coronavirus cases, dealing a blow to the pro-democracy opposition which had hoped to make huge gains. The United States quickly condemned the move, saying it was the latest example of Beijing undermining democracy in the Chinese-ruled territory. ࢀœThis action undermines the democratic processes and freedoms that have underpinned Hong Kongࢀ™s prosperity,ࢀ White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany told reporters. The decision to delay the vote came after 12 pro-democracy candidates were disqualified from running for perceived…