The start of a more authoritarian era Updated: Updated: April 06, 2021 22:48 IST The new electoral procedures herald the end of democracy in a Hong Kong that was never truly democratic Share Article AAA The new electoral procedures herald the end of democracy in a Hong Kong that was never truly democratic Why should anyone care that the Chinese government recently made drastic changes to the already undemocratic way in which Hong Kong’s Chief Executive and members of its legislature are chosen? As scholars of protest patterns and repressive actions, we feel these changes represent a devastating development. Changes in rules related to voting, vetting candidates, and apportioning legislative seats in a city that was never fully democratic could seem less alarming than more dramatic actions to curtail liberties in Hong Kong. But they are arguably just as threatening to the region’s political future.