So why haven't the protesters said this is one of their main issues?
Universal suffrage is not a panacea, indeed in many democracies money decides who become the head of state. In two largest democracy USA and India its not possible to win elections without the support of billionaire or being a billionaire.
Funny part in Hong Kong Uber is illegal and Taxi license is traded at astronomical prices and govt can't do anything due to powerful taxi union lobby (consisting mostly of taxi owners), they also involve in HK CEO election. In universal suffrage it will still be similar large number of bodies with vested interests.
So a structural change won't happen unless it's really part of the protest.
Recently read one another view on democracy quite interesting, although do not agree with it. [1]
[1] https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/09/08/shawn-ros...
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_housing_in_Hong_Kong
Singapore learned from Hong Kong but did it much better and today one of the best example of public housing (they call it Housing Development Board - HDB). I will not go into details but its a topic of its own to discuss issues of Hong Kong real estate and get rich quick ideas based on it.
You cannot, when it comes to the executive branch. The Chief Executive is "elected" by a ~1200 person election committee, which is heavily stacked in the interest of business and Beijing.
The candidates must be nominated by the same committee, and must be supportive of the central government (China).
In reality, the central government liaison office does whatever is necessary to ensure their preferred candidate is elected.
40 years ago, while mainland was still agrarian, HK had an industrial base and competitive advantage that supported a working class. Then Detroit happened to HK, and the only socially and economically "valuable" people left are tycoons and bankers. Now you have a generation of kids trying to subsist in one of the most inequitable cities in the world, too stubborn to pursue all the opportunities afforded to them in exploding mainland sectors where their English proficiency and western cultural connections will give them huge advantages. Instead they live with their parents in tiny apartments with nothing better to do but protest destructively while utilizing their valuable English skills and cultural competencies to brigade western social media in a counterproductive effort to hold off the increasing irrelevance of their city state like living in a world class / Chinese tier1 city is a birthright.
Also, they're putting their lives and bodies on the line for this, the least we can do is extend them good faith.
If you're going to use the analogy of the west's alt-right movement, you need to explain what and who the eastern equivalent entrenched political and financial interests who would benefit from stoking protest/populism amongst the students. Without those components, you're comparing apples to badgers.
Yeah I stopped reading after this. The only person talking like an alt-right is you.
The fact that you think Hk people think mainlander are “locust” reflects a lot about your perspective and upbringing.
In fact, I have only heard mainlanders on the streets calling these protesters “cockroaches”. Not the other way around. I am neither pro or against these protestors.
I hope you seek the help you need. Mental health is no joke.
This comment is extremely pro-China.