Lam will ‘reflect’ on rout by democrats

The Hong Kong government says it will “seriously reflect” after pro-democracy candidates secured an overwhelming victory in council elections.

Videos of residents popping champagne bottles late on Sunday night circulated on social media as the first results of Hong Kong’s 2019 district council elections came through.

Carrie Lam, the territory’s pro-beijing chief executive, said Monday that the government respected the results and wished “the peaceful, safe and orderly situation to continue.”

“There are various analyses and interpretations ... and quite a few are of the view that the results reflect people’s dissatisfaction with the current situation and the deep-seated problems in society,” she said, adding that the government would “listen to the opinions of members of the public humbly and seriously reflect”.

A record 71 per cent of voters cast ballots in the elections in which pro-democracy candidates won 385 of the 452 seats. Pro-beijing candidates held 59 seats and independents won eight.

Pro-establishment candidates, who ran unopposed in the previous 2015 ballot, were challenged in every constituency across all 18 districts, with pro-democracy candidates winning 17 of them.

The result marks a historic shift in the makeup of district councils, which have been dominated by pro-establishment members for years. The bodies’ powers are limited to local affairs, such as planning bus routes, pest control and organizing recreational activities.

Big losses for Beijing included Junius Ho, a heavy critic of the protest movement, who lost his seat in Tuen Mun to a pro-democracy candidate.

Leticia Wong, a first-time pro-democracy candidate, claimed 65 per cent of the vote, beating rival Wong Ka Wing in Sha Tin. Jocelyn Chau and Jimmy Sham, both of whom were attacked in the months leading up to the election, also claimed strong victories.

Dominic Raab, the British Foreign Secretary, described Lam’s promise to reflect on the results as “reassuring.”

“I welcome the Hong Kong government facilitating these elections, which were an important opportunity for the people of Hong Kong to make their voices heard,” he said. “We don’t want to see any more violence. It was reassuring to hear Carrie Lam commit to reflecting seriously on the message delivered by the people.”

The landslide win appears to counter Beijing’s theory that there is a “silent majority” who oppose the protest movement. It puts further pressure on Lam’s administration as the 1,200-member committee that will pick the chief executive in 2022 includes 117 district councillors.