Hong Kong is ready for full democracy: peaceful voting by millions in protests-torn city was proof

The district council elections were widely considered a referendum on the public sentiment towards the protests that have rocked Hong Kong for nearly six months now. The people of Hong Kong have spoken.

The elections were conducted peacefully, with a record high turnout of voters calmly exercising their rights.

The current government, if one still chooses to call them that, has continually refused to admit that there has been something seriously wrong with the way the city was being run. When millions of people take to the streets, it is because they are invested in their future. The administration’s modus operandi has just been intimidation, consistent refusal to listen to the public and constant escalation.

The election results have, undoubtedly, been a stinging rebuke to the pro-establishment camp.

Irrespective of wins and losses, the most important takeaway from the elections is that Hongkongers are indeed ready for universal suffrage.

Also, people from all walks of life and across age groups proved on November 24 that, despite all the frustrations they face in the city, unless provoked beyond measure, Hongkongers do not resort to violence to get their message across. Given a chance, Hongkongers are more than ready to run the city effectively through their elected representatives, with minimal interference from Beijing.

Hong Kong and its people have always had an identity of their own. The central government, instead of succumbing to paranoia, must listen to and understand that, if left alone to build their future in a city they call home, Hongkongers are not a threat.

It remains to be seen whether the administration will wake up to act on public sentiment, de-escalate tensions and use dialogue to map out a resolution to the crisis or remain steeped in their own delusions.

Either way, for Carrie Lam and her band of “advisers” in the Executive Council, the writing is on the wall. 

Gauri Venkitaraman, Lam Tin

Democracy heroes must show they can govern, not just criticise 

The pro-democracy camp won an overwhelming victory in the district council elections, the first time the opposition has controlled 17 of the 18 district councils. It has become the de facto “new establishment” in the municipal advisory bodies. This development paves a way for the pan-democrats to put into practice their political ideology.

Some say the pro-democracy camp is always against the government, without doing anything constructive for the community. Perhaps the democrats were outnumbered on various bodies and failed to live up to their values. Now is time to make a difference and win back confidence in their capacity to govern.

Don’t let election politics detract from importance of community affairs

They should take the opportunity to focus on the local residents’ needs and livelihood issues, while continuing to look into key political issues.

Former chief executive Leung Chun-ying stated on his social media page that the pro-establishment camp, which suffered a crushing defeat in the election, would keep a close eye on the performance of the pan-democrat camp and seek to retake seats in the future through all possible legal means.

The pan-democrats should stay alert, get the job done and not let down the 1.6 million people who voted for them.

Wing Ho, Sai Wan