Mission and impact:The Best of HKFP 2023:Original features: In 2023, the government completed an overhaul of its electoral systems, bringing local councils in line with Beijing-decreed changes to ensure only pre-approved “patriots” could run as district representatives. We spoke to local councillors dismayed by the decision, went out with candidates ahead of the opposition-free election, and heard from voters who said they had “lost interest” in the process, which saw a record-low turnout of 27.5 per cent. We also explored how the narrative surrounding the District Council changed from 2019, w…
