英國穆斯林視倫敦市長競選爲勝利大綱

Vote counting is under way in London where Britain's capital could be getting its first Muslim mayor as Sadiq Khan, a 45-year-old former government minister and son of Pakistani immigrants, appears headed for victory in what British Muslims see as a turning point.

Whether Khan wins or loses, British Muslims see his reaching the status of front-runner in the race as a sign of their growing political clout in the former seat of one of the world’s great empires.

Khan, representing the Labor party, is the son of a bus driver and a seamstress. In a field of 12 candidates, he was in a tight and often bitter race against the other front-runner, Conservative Zac Goldsmith, who is Jewish and the son of a billionaire tycoon.

The Mayor of London position was created only 16 years ago, but is highly influential. The outgoing mayor, popular Conservative Boris Johnson, is seen as a likely contender for prime minister.

Most London voters polled ahead of Thursday’s elections cited housing and transport as the main issues. But analysts say underlying concerns about immigration and demographic change could play out in the poll, which may indicate the outcome of a June 23rd referendum on whether Britain should remain in the European Union.

Proponents of a British exit, or Brexit, cite immigration and the belief that Britain has lost control of its borders as top concerns倫敦市長選舉的選票清點工作正在進行，現年45歲的前政府大臣、巴基斯坦移民之子薩迪克汗看來即將當選，成爲倫敦第一位穆斯林市長。英國的穆斯林將這看作一個轉折點。

無論薩迪克汗能否當選，英國的穆斯林都認爲，他能成爲競選領跑者是自己在這個全球最偉大的帝國之一日益增長的政治影響力的表現。

薩迪克汗代表工黨，他是一個公交車司機和一個裁縫的兒子。這次競選共有12名候選人，薩迪克汗與另一位領先者，保守黨的扎克·戈德史密斯競爭激烈，不相上下。戈德史密斯是猶太人，億萬富翁的兒子。

倫敦市長的職位16年前纔剛剛設立，但影響力很大。即將離任的市長、深受民衆歡迎的保守黨人鮑里斯·約翰遜，被視爲競選首相的可能人選。

星期四投票前進行的民調顯示，大多數倫敦選民認爲住房和交通是主要問題。但分析人士指出，選民對移民和人口結構變化的擔憂可能影響選情，還可能預示在6月23號就英國是否應該留在歐盟舉行的全民公決的結果。

支持英國退出歐盟的人將移民和英國已對邊界失去控制列爲最核心的問題。