New Delhi: Hong Kong’s pro-democracy camp bagged a majority in an unprecedented 17 out of 18 councils in the country’s district council elections Monday. While the election commission is yet to release the exact numbers, Reuters noted that the camp won over 90 per cent of the 452 seats polled. A record 71 per cent people voted in the elections, the highest since 1991.
District elections are usually a timid affair in Hong Kong but this year they were coloured by the ongoing pro-democracy protests.The protests began in June and since then the clashes between the city police and protesters have turned increasingly violent.
The ‘pan-democratic’ camp consists of lawyers, social workers and veteran politicians who have voiced unequivocal support for these protests and many of them defeated a significant number of incumbent pro-Beijing candidates in their political strongholds.
Incumbent pro-Beijing candidates were defeated
These numbers are in stark contrast to the previous election. In 2015, the pro-Beijing parties had won 298 of the 452 seats, which brought all 18 district councils under their control, reported the The Washington Post.
Pro-democracy campaigners won big this year, especially in districts like Tai Po and Wong Tai Sin where the police used tear gas on protesters during clashes. The democratic candidates also swept the pro-establishment strongholds. Karrine Fu, a young democrat, ousted pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) incumbent Hung Lin-Cham, who had won the three previous district council elections.
Similarly, at least five activists from the Umbrella movement of 2014, which objected to Beijing’s electoral reforms, “won seats, nudging out veterans”, reported South China Morning Post. For instance, Kelvin Lam, a student leader from the Umbrella movement, beat incumbent Judy Chan Ka-pui of the New People’s Party by 4,100 votes to 3,100 in the South Horizons West constituency.
Why do district council elections matter
This year’s district council elections have dual significance — one, they are the first elections since the protests began and two, these elections are the only ones in Hong Kong that are completely democratic. According to the Guardian, “District councils are the only Hong Kong authority selected by full universal suffrage”.
Councils also play a significant role in choosing Hong Kong’s chief executive and some legislators. The pro-democracy parties are set to control 117 votes in the 1,200-member election committee that votes for Hong Kong’s leader, reported Washington Post.