By-election results shed little light on coming Legco showdown, political analysts say
Vote was the first electoral battle since six pan-democratic lawmakers were disqualified by the court for spoiling their oaths in October
The opposition pan-democratic camp has been warned not to get too happy over the “small victory” in Sunday’s district level by-election although they could regain one of the two seats from their pro-Beijing rivals.
Political analysts said the results provided little indication of the outcome of the bigger showdown in next March’s Legislative Council by-elections.
More than 3,700 voters in the two constituencies of Tung Wah and The Peak of the Central and Western district council hit the polling booths on Sunday. The turnout rate for Tung Wah was 38.81 per cent while that of The Peak was 33.41 per cent.
Pan-democrats also hoped the outcome could shed some light on next March’s Legco by-elections, which were triggered by the disqualification saga.
Democrat Bonnie Ng Hoi-yan took the Tung Wah seat with 1,034 votes, 125 votes more than her major rival, school headmaster Lui Kam-keung, who had the backing of the pro-Beijing camp. Another contestant in the constituency, former Labour Party member Olivia Lau Shu-yin, got only 20 votes.