“Hong Kong elections: pro-democracy camp wins 17 out of 18 districts while city leader says she will reflect on the result”, South China Morning Post
Jeffie Lam, Sum Lok-kei, Ng Kang-chung 25 Nov. 2019
- Tsunami of disaffection washes over city as pro-Beijing camp left reeling by record turnout and overwhelming defeat
- Result set to give pan-democrats increase in seats on committee that chooses city’s chief executive
The anti-establishment reverberations from almost six months of street protests swept through polling stations across Hong Kong on Sunday, as voters in record numbers roundly rejected pro-Beijing candidates in favour of pan-democrats.
The tsunami of disaffection among voters was clear across the board, as pan-democrats rode the wave to win big in poor and rich neighbourhoods, in both protest-prone and non-protest-afflicted districts and, in downtown areas as well as the suburbs.
Pro-democracy supporters celebrate huge gains in the district council elections. Photo: AP
Less immediately obvious was whether there was a generational divide in the way people voted, but ousted pro-establishment district councillors suggested that young, first-time voters had been instrumental in dislodging them from their perch.
Seats won in Hong Kong’s district council elections 2019
PRO-DEMOCRACY 347
(76.8%)
(76.8%)
PRO-ESTABLISHMENT 60
(13.3%)
(13.3%)
INDEPENDENT 60
(13.35)
NOT DECLARED YET 45
10%
Total seats: 452
The final election results were confirmed at 1pm on Monday when the vote count was completed at Lam Tin constituency of Kwun Tong District Council.
Among the 452 seats up for grabs, the pan-democrats were victorious in 347, the independents – many of them pro-democracy – won 45, while the pro-establishment camp had to make do with 60.
The pro-democracy camp now has control of 17 out of 18 district councils. It won all elected seats in Wong Tai Sin and Tai Po district councils.
The only council held by the pro-establishment camp was the 18-member Islands district, where eight seats were handed out automatically to pro-establishment rural chiefs.
Before Sunday, all councils had been under pro-establishment control since the 2015 elections.
One key challenge for the democrats will be to force concessions out of Lam and her government, especially on resolving the current political impasse over the protesters’ demands.
Lam had insisted she would not address any of their demands unless the city returned to calm and order, after increasingly radical acts by demonstrators who have attacked metro stations and shops linked to mainland China, disrupted traffic and barricaded roads.
More than 5,000 people have been arrested since the protests began in early June and radicals have become increasingly violent in their clashes with police. On Sunday, anything but black appeared to be the new black, as protesters studiously avoided wearing the colour, as agreed on their Telegram channels.
As result announcements rolled into the early hours of Monday, on LIHKG, protesters’ Reddit-like virtual command centre, there was much celebration but also reflection on next steps. The victory was but a small milestone, said some, with more yet to be achieved in their pursuit of democracy.