Yesterday's turnout for the District Council elections gives a heartening indication of the way political awareness and commitment has taken root in Hong Kong.
In many countries that have a long history of democracy, and a very highly politicised electorate, local council elections are rarely as well supported as this one has been. But that, of course, may have something to do with the particular circumstances of this poll.
The two municipal councils face oblivion in a matter of weeks, and so the relatively high turnout yesterday might be interpreted as the electorate's determination to hang on to what genuine democratic institutions still remain.
Whether or not the improved turnout represented protest votes, it is certainly an indication that Hongkongers are becoming more politically aware, and learning to regard elections as a valued part of the territory's culture.
In spite of the rollback in democratic political power, it seems that people still have faith in local politicians. The old, always unconvincing, argument that no one in Hong Kong is interested in democracy, or - insultingly - that people are not yet mature enough to cope with an increased political voice, is once again shown up as a hollow excuse for not increasing democracy.
It would be cheering to hope that the Government will speed up the process of fulfilling the promise in the Basic Law, and start advancing the pace of democratic development, rather than curtailing the little that currently exists. But that would be a naive hope.
Diligent Overall, however, it is the Government that can derive most satisfaction from yesterday's turnout. For the administration, it has turned out to be a classic example of a win-win situation. The Government ran a vigorous and - despite criticism from some quarters that it was unimpressive - seemingly effective publicity campaign, exhorting people to go out and vote, secure in the knowledge that people were electing candidates with rather less power than they had before.
