Deadly fire outrage overshadows Hong Kong's 'patriots only' election

• Hong Kong held a "patriots only" legislative election, the second under China's restrictive rules.
• The election was overshadowed by public anger over a recent residential fire that killed 159 people.
• Only 20 of 90 legislative seats are directly elected, following a crackdown under the 2020 national security law.
• Critics, including Human Rights Watch, linked the lack of democratic institutions to governance failures and the fire's devastating impact.
• Chief Executive John Lee urged public participation, framing votes as support for reform and fire victims, while also announcing an investigation into the blaze.

Why It Matters: Hong Kong's 'patriots only' election highlights democracy's erosion and governance failures.