Rebuke to China: Hong Kong votes for pro-democracy candidates
HISTORIC Pro-democracy candidates win nearly 90% of the 452 district council seats
HONGKONG: This is why China doesn’t like elections.
The people of Hong Kong delivered a stunning rebuke to Beijing on Sunday, handing almost 90% of 452 district council seats to candidates who favour greater democracy in the financial hub. Those who championed for closer ties with China had won 65% of the seats in the last vote four years ago.
Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing chief executive, Carrie Lam, on Monday said the government respected the results and wished “the peaceful, safe and orderly situation to continue”. “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,” Lam said.
The elections saw a record turnout — 71%, almost double the number in the previous polls — after six months of protests. Demonstrators are angry at what they see as Chinese meddling in the freedoms promised to Hong Kong when it was returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
HONG KONG : Hong Kong’s leader pledged to listen to public opinion on Monday after a landslide election victory by opponents of Chinese rule amid months of sometimes violent pro-democracy unrest.
Democratic candidates secured almost 90% of 452 district council seats in Sunday’s poll, despite a strongly resourced and mobilised pro-establishment opposition. Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing chief executive, Carrie Lam, said the government respected the results and wished “the peaceful, safe and orderly situation to continue”.
“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,” Lam said. The government would “listen to the opinions of members of the public humbly and seriously reflect”, her statement said.
The elections saw record turnout after six months of protests and brought upset wins for democrats against heavyweight proBeijing opponents, greeted in some voting centres by chants of “Liberate Hong Kong” and “Revolution Now”.
While district councils deal with local issues such as transport, their members also form part of the election committee for Hong Kong’s chief executive. This could give them some influence over the next vote in 2022, although they only account for 117 of its 1,200 members.
Democratic Party chairman Wu Chi-wai described the election as the first step in the long way to full democracy. “This district election shows that the central government needs to face the demands of a democratic system,” he said.
HK IS CHINA’S PART, NO MATTER WHAT: WANG
Reacting to the election results, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said Hong Kong is part of China “no matter what happens”.
Wang said in Tokyo, where he was attending a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting , that attempts to disrupt Hong Kong will never succeed.
“No matter how the situation evolves in HK, one thing remains crystal clear: Hong Kong is part of China’s territory as a special administrative region; attempts to disrupt Hong Kong and undermine its stability and prosperity will never succeed,” Wang said.
The Chinese foreign ministry said it “resolutely” supports Carrie Lam.