Thread by @ezracheungtoto

#BREAKING: Hong Kong chief executive, Carrie Lam, announces to delay the upcoming legislative election, which was scheduled for September 6, citing the unceasing #coronavirus outbreak.

Describing the delay as a "very difficult decision" to make, Mrs Lam has once again invoked the colonial-era Emergency Regulations Ordinance. The last time this ordinance was applied was in early October last year when the chief executive attempted to ban masks in protests.

Mrs Lam says since the #coronavirus pandemic has no sign of subsidence, the pandemic poses "grave public crisis" to Hong Kong. Therefore, holding such an election is "challenging", she adds, because not all voters can participate in the polls fearing the spread of the disease.

However, Mrs Lam admits that she has not discussed with the Electoral Affairs Commission Chairman, Barnabas Fung, on the one-year postponement. But she claims that Mr Fung agrees on such a decision due to an "exponentially larger infection risk".

The legislative election will be postponed until September 5, 2021. Mrs Lam says the Hong Kong government will submit to National People's Congress Standing Committee for an interpretation about how to deal with a vacuum legislature.

The next National People's Congress Standing Committee meeting will take place from August 8 to August 11. H/T: @galileocheng

The central govt in Beijing welcomes the decision made by the Hong Kong govt on the adjournment of the legislative election and says the National People's Congress Standing Committee will decide "according to the law" how to handle the lacuna left in the legislature.

Side note: The Emergency Regulations Ordinance says: "On any occasion which the Chief Executive in Council may consider to be an occasion of emergency or public danger he may make any regulations whatsoever which he may consider desirable in the public interest."

Hong Kong justice secretary, Teresa Cheng, carries on that when the election process is resumed afresh in 2021 and that all candidates will need to come under returning officers' scrutiny again. Currently, 12 opposition candidates are barred from running in this year's election.