Rise of localists in Hong Kong polls set to bring headaches for Beijing, analysts say
Localists emboldened by victory will be in no mood to compromise with government
The victory of six localists and their securing of nearly 20 per cent of the vote share in the Legislative Council elections will be alarming for Beijing, two academics said on Monday.
Ray Yep Kin-man, a political scientist at City University, and Ivan Choy Chi-keung, a political analyst from Chinese University, said they believed the ground gained by localists would further strain the relationship between Hong Kong and mainland authorities.
Six backers of “self-determination” for Hong Kong, including Yau Wai-ching and Sixtus “Baggio” Leung Chung-hang from the post-Occupy group Youngspiration, Occupy student leader Nathan Law Kwun-chung, Polytechnic University lecturer Lau Siu-lai, Eddie Chu Hoi-dick as well as Civic Passion’s Cheng Chung-tai, were returned in geographical constituencies in Sunday’s elections.
Candidates from localist groups, including those who failed to clinch seats, won a total of 409,025 votes, accounting for 19 per cent of about 2.2 million valid votes cast in five geographical constituencies.
