Hong Kong elections: pan-democrats celebrating landslide win vow to keep up pressure on city’s beleaguered leader to address protesters’ demands
- Democratic Party leader says election is first step on a long road to full democracy, while Chief Executive Carrie Lam acknowledges that the people have spoken
- China’s foreign ministry declares resolute backing for Lam administration, while pro-establishment camp comes to terms with heavy defeat
Hong Kong’s opposition pan-democrats celebrated their landslide victory at Sunday’s historic district council polls by vowing to keep up the pressure on the government to bow to protesters’ demands, while their humiliated pro-Beijing rivals were left reeling from their shock defeat.
Of the 452 seats up for grabs, the pro-democracy camp netted 392 – comprising 347 pan-democrats and 45 independents who are friendly with the camp. The pro-establishment camp had to settle for the remaining 60.
Democrats also took control of 17 out of 18 district councils. They won all elected seats in Wong Tai Sin and Tai Po district councils. The only council held by the pro-establishment camp was the 18-member Islands district, where eight seats were handed out automatically to pro-establishment rural chiefs.
The dramatically changed electoral landscape was a mirror image of four years ago when the pan-democrats won only 116 seats, while the pro-establishment camp bagged 292 seats, taking control of all 18 district councils.
Wu Chi-wai, leader of the Democratic Party, one of the biggest winners, called the election the first step on a long road to full democracy. “This district election shows that the central government needs to face the demands of a democratic system,” he said.
The city’s embattled leader, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, issued a statement acknowledging that the people had spoken. She conceded there was a view the results reflected the people’s dissatisfaction with the current situation and the deep-seated problems in society.