<span style="color: #222222;">Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has announced amendments to voting laws that critics say favour pro-Beijing candidates. Lam said on Tuesday, the government will increase the number of electoral districts from which vetted candidates can be elected to 10, with two winners from each region. Previously, 35 seats were split between five electoral districts. The amendments are meant to facilitate and complement Beijing's move last month to overhaul Hong Kong's electoral system by curbing democratic representation in its institutions. The changes announced by China in March reduce the number of directly elected representatives and increase the number of Beijing-approved officials in an expanded legislature. A powerful new vetting committee will monitor candidates for public office and work with new national security authorities in Hong Kong to ensure they are loyal to Beijing.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">  </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Analysts say, the redrawing of constituencies could result in stronger showings for pro-Beijing candidates in rural regions bordering mainland China and the east of the Hong Kong island.   Lam faced the largest and most violent anti-government protests in 2019 after proposing a bill to allow extraditions to mainland China.</span>