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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Hong Kong legislative polls open | Hong Kong legislative polls open |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Polls have opened in Hong Kong's elections for the Legislative Council. | |
| Voters in the Chinese-administered but autonomous territory can elect 50% the Council's seats, with the rest chosen by special limited constituencies. | |
| An upsurge in patriotic feeling after the recent Beijing Olympics is expected to help the pro-government candidates. | |
| The democratic camp won most votes last time around, but China has blunted its appeal by offering a conditional promise of future democracy. | |
| About a third of voters have remained undecided ahead of this election, with economic and livelihood concerns paramount and few other huge issues provoking controversy. | About a third of voters have remained undecided ahead of this election, with economic and livelihood concerns paramount and few other huge issues provoking controversy. |
| Limited franchise | Limited franchise |
| As democratic candidates discovered four years ago, winning a majority of the votes cast was not enough to gain control of the legislative chamber. | As democratic candidates discovered four years ago, winning a majority of the votes cast was not enough to gain control of the legislative chamber. |
| In this limited franchise, it gave them just 25 of the 30 seats available in the freely-elected half of the Council, with 30 other seats chosen by interest groups. | In this limited franchise, it gave them just 25 of the 30 seats available in the freely-elected half of the Council, with 30 other seats chosen by interest groups. |
| These "functional constituencies" include groups of as few as 144 voters, and are defined by professional allegiance, such as the financial sector, tourism and education. | These "functional constituencies" include groups of as few as 144 voters, and are defined by professional allegiance, such as the financial sector, tourism and education. |
| This year, 14 of the 30 functional constituency seats are uncontested, leaving a total of 46 seats available. | This year, 14 of the 30 functional constituency seats are uncontested, leaving a total of 46 seats available. |
| Voting turnout is expected to be moderate, comprising about half of the 3.3 million potential voters. | Voting turnout is expected to be moderate, comprising about half of the 3.3 million potential voters. |
| Patriotic surge | Patriotic surge |
| This time around, pro-government parties are expected to do better - even though the administration of chief executive Donald Tsang is deeply unpopular after a string of recent blunders. | This time around, pro-government parties are expected to do better - even though the administration of chief executive Donald Tsang is deeply unpopular after a string of recent blunders. |
| The democrats' argument for full democracy in this former British colony has been blunted by China's conditional promise of some kind of universal suffrage by 2017. | The democrats' argument for full democracy in this former British colony has been blunted by China's conditional promise of some kind of universal suffrage by 2017. |
| Most importantly, patriotic feelings toward China have surged - after the tragedy of the Sichuan earthquake and the huge excitement and pride generated by the Beijing Olympics. | Most importantly, patriotic feelings toward China have surged - after the tragedy of the Sichuan earthquake and the huge excitement and pride generated by the Beijing Olympics. |