HONG KONG -- Fifteen hundred Hong Kong "patriots" will take their seats on Friday in a revamped Election Committee responsible for deciding the city's leader and selecting about half its lawmakers -- a development seen as the latest step to tighten the Chinese government's control and stifle any opposition.
Fresh faces from Beijing-friendly organizations, many unheard of, and representatives of national bodies will join the Election Committee following a dramatic overhaul in March. The changes drew international condemnation, with Western governments saying they undermine democratic elements in Hong Kong's electoral system amid a relentless crackdown that has put dozens of lawmakers and pro-democracy activists in jail or driven them into exile while civic organizations disband.
