A group of activists recently found themselves in hot water over an unofficial primary they organized in 2020 to select opposition candidates for local elections. With a whopping 600,000 people participating, it was no small feat.
Prosecutors claimed that the activists had ulterior motives, aiming to disrupt government policies by getting into the Legislative Council. The judges agreed, stating that if elected, the defendants would have caused chaos by vetoing budgets left and right.
This so-called “Scheme” would have led to a constitutional crisis, according to the court, as it would undermine the authority of the central government. Critics and rights groups, however, argue that the case is based on hypothetical scenarios that may never have come to pass.
In the end, the court ruled in favor of the prosecution, emphasizing the importance of upholding the duties and functions of the HKSAR’s governing body. But the debate continues over whether this case was truly justified or simply a case of what-ifs.