Editor's note: Andrew Korybko is a Moscow-based American political analyst. The article reflects the author's opinion, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

The President of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong just announced that legislative elections will be delayed for one year, adding that this move has the formal approval of the Standing Committee of the China's National People's Congress.

It was expected that this would happen after city officials sent signals that it would be irresponsible to hold an election in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially considering that the special autonomous region's recent successes in containing the virus could be reversed by an election day outbreak.

Hong Kong deserves to be applauded for putting public health and safety above all else, which was a courageous move to make especially since it is to be expected that this decision will be condemned by Western countries for political reasons related to manipulatively wrongly portraying it as "anti-democratic." All legitimate officials in any country, region, and city anywhere in the world have the right to determine whether holding elections right now is in the interests of public safety or not, and these decisions should be universally respected.

Hong Kong's authorities don't want to risk public safety by holding a legislative election just because Western countries are pressuring them to do so when such a move could put everyone at risk and possibly even lead to the eventual loss of life if any infections that its residents catch during the voting process prove to be fatal. China is wrongly criticized by Western countries for allegedly violating human rights, yet Hong Kong's decision is the epitome of protecting them for the aforementioned reason.

Even if they were irresponsible enough to hold the elections despite assessing them as a serious threat to public safety because of COVID-19, the city's authorities would still be subject to Western political pressure because those countries' goal is to destabilize the special autonomous region, not support its people like they claim. If they really care about Hong Kong's residents, then they'd celebrate the fact that the legislative elections are postponed since that means that locals are less likely to catch COVID-19 and possibly die.

The postponement of the elections could also be seen as a democratic opportunity instead of the "anti-democratic challenge" that Western countries and their mainstream media outlets might portray it as.

This gives all candidates more time to perfect their political platforms and win the trust of their constituents by contributing to the city's epidemiological and economic recovery. Once the health crisis subsides, Hong Kong's residents will reward whoever they feel helped them the most by voting those candidates into office.

This is actually fairer to voters than having them choose their legislative representatives before the crisis abates and candidates have had the chance to prove themselves to the people. By extending the term of current lawmakers, the city can ensure policy continuity during this crucial time. Those up for re-election will have proven their worth or lack thereof to their residents while those who are running for their first term in office will have a track record of proposals under their belt to make their campaigns even better.

What the city's residents need right now is the confidence that they won't catch COVID-19 while exercising their special autonomous region's democratic rights. Since that can't be guaranteed at the present time, it's in collective interest to postpone the vote and make the best out of it as was explained. Those in Hong Kong and abroad who try to politicize this decision are doing a disservice to the city's residents, one which might even be deadly if it incites some people to protest and consequently catch COVID-19 in the process.

In the global scheme of things, what Hong Kong did was commendable. It stood up to foreign pressure and did what its authorities thought was right, which was to postpone the elections for a year until COVID-19 is defeated once and for all.

The special autonomous region set a shining example that other cities, regions, and even countries can follow by staying true to the people and their most pressing interest, which is their own lives.

Democracy can't be practiced without ensuring public safety, and if the authorities still regard COVID-19 as a threat, then going through with hasty elections would have been both irresponsible and highly dangerous.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com.)