AFP, HONG KONGA colorful cast of political novices who won Hong Kong’s local elections are attending cram courses and trading tips on how to take the fight to the territory’s pro-Beijing establishment in their own neighborhoods. The territory’s district councils are the only elections in which Hong Kongers can vote for every seat — and they did so in record numbers this year. Hong Kong’s district councils deal with bread-and-butter issues such as bus timetables and garbage collections. Sky-high housing costs fuel Hong Kong’s political crisis, with public anger palpable over the pro-Beijing establishment’s cozy links with tycoons. Beijing forbids Hong Kongers from directly electing their leader — a stance which lies at the heart of the territory’s political unrest.

Source: Taipei Times December 24, 2019 15:56 UTC