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Hong Kong election takeaways: has pan-democrat domination made them kingmakers in race to succeed Carrie Lam as chief executive?
- Pro-establishment bloc licks wounds as its rivals seek to capitalise in long term on district council takeover
- Power struggle will see pro-democracy bloc try to wrest control from government to district councils, academic predicts
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In a thundering rebuke to the city’s government, Hongkongers – or 71.2 per cent of voters – turned out in record numbers for the city’s district council elections on Sunday to deliver a seismic victory for the pro-democracy bloc.
The democrats won majorities in at least 17 of the 18 district councils, as they pummeled their pro-Beijing rivals, who lost more than 250 seats from 2015.
The citywide elections were regarded as a de facto referendum on the city’s protests, which have rocked the city since June, as well as the government’s response. Here are the six key takeaways from the polls:
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1. Tectonic shift in political landscape
Hong Kong’s pro-democracy bloc swept up almost 80 per cent of the 452 seats up for grabs in Sunday’s district council elections.
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Riding on the anti-establishment momentum built up by over nearly six months of unrest, democrats scored victories, not only in their usual strongholds, but also the so-called “deep red” constituencies, which for years have been dominated by the Beijing-friendly camp.
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