The pro-government camp emerged as the biggest winner in Sunday's district council elections, strengthening its prospects in next year's Legislative Council poll.
The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong secured 136 seats, while its ally, the Federation of Trade Unions, walked away with 11. The parties together account for 35 per cent of the 412 seats in 18 districts councils.
Political scientist Ivan Choy Chi-keung from Chinese University said the government-loyalist camp did better because they had a better record of district work.
The pan-democrats suffered a huge defeat. Various groups from the camp won only a total of 83 seats even though its share of the popular vote increased.
Only seven out of 41 candidates from the Civic Party won seats; members blamed the losses on the party's involvement in two legal tussles - foreign domestic workers' right of abode case and environmental assessment of the Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.
Even political heavyweights were not protected. The Civic Party's Tanya Chan lost in The Peak constituency, and Ronny Tong Ka-wah in Sha Tin City One. Democratic Party chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan held onto his seat.
