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What about Sinkies ? Still sleeping.
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Serious Hongkies have just sent a very strong message in the recent election
- Thread starter A Singaporean
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what message ? Elect a bunch of eunuchs who has no power to rule the Leco ? And whose Leco has no power to pass laws that matter ? And whose leader is forced to stand like a puppet ? Have any of the five demands been met? Only one.
Rule what?
Singapore under BE was ruled by dictator Pommy. Worst than HK no one country 2 system or self ruled.
Even worst, BE monopoly of opium trade in SEA targeting 华侨人 300,000 rich Chinese community with opium. Only rich people can afford smoke opium for leisure.
Only 4 countries given self ruled by own white BE: US, Can, Aus, NZ.
Singapore under BE was ruled by dictator Pommy. Worst than HK no one country 2 system or self ruled.
Even worst, BE monopoly of opium trade in SEA targeting 华侨人 300,000 rich Chinese community with opium. Only rich people can afford smoke opium for leisure.
Only 4 countries given self ruled by own white BE: US, Can, Aus, NZ.
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Why didn't they burn effigy of margaret thatcher, the woman who sold hongkies out?
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for decades n decades n decades when they were under the british... they've all the time to think about their future.... now then come and riot... kpkb.. hands up ... legs up.... too late oredi lah...The Hongkies sent a very strong message to the motherland that unification and integration is urgently needed before HK declares itself as independent or worse, a colony or protectorate of the USA or UK.
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Still better than singkies n their vote pap n kpkb pap. Hongkies still doing something about it
What Just Happened in Hong Kong’s Elections?
Hong Kongers turned out in droves to defeat pro-Beijing candidates.
By Michael Delaney| November 25, 2019, 3:06 PM
Hong Kongers delivered a resounding blow to the city’s political establishment on Sunday, when the district council elections saw record turnout and an unprecedented victory for the pro-democracy camp. Pro-democracy candidates took nearly 90 percent of the available seats, tripling their previous total. What does this mean for the future of a city torn by protest and under the shadow of Beijing’s power?
Why do these elections matter?
Hong Kong’s district councils have little power, and their elections generally attract little interest, with many candidates in previous years running unopposed. One of the main demands of the protesters who have taken to Hong Kong’s streets this year is true universal suffrage—currently, Hong Kong’s chief executive is selected by a council of just 1,200 people and must be approved by Beijing. The Legislative Council elections that determine the makeup of the government itself are heavily skewed by what are known as functional constituencies, special interest groups generally linked to the pro-Beijing camp that get to determine 30 out of the 70 available seats.
The district councils have long been a pro-establishment stronghold. Chinese Communist Party-aligned parties such as the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), the New People’s Party, and the Beijing-backed Federation of Trade Unions enjoy better funding and strong coordination, rarely running candidates against each other. Pro-democracy parties have been seen as more focused on broader concerns of suffrage and reform, while the “blue” pro-Beijing parties had a reputation for being solid on quotidian concerns such as road maintenance, community activities, and livelihood issues.
But Sunday’s ballot was seen by both the establishment and pro-democracy sides as a referendum on the five demands of the ongoing protests and the government of Chief Executive Carrie Lam. Political parties themselves play a relatively minor role in Hong Kong compared to most systems; the pro-democracy side is an alliance of several small parties, while the establishment is centered around the DAB but includes other parties, and both camps have numerous independent representatives.
Since June, Hong Kong has seen massive protests—originally over a planned extradition law, but they have swollen to take on police brutality and the lack of democracy in the city. A pro-establishment victory would have buttressed Lam’s suggestions that the protests are the work of unruly extremists not supported by the silent majority. The landslide pan-democrat win marked a clear refutation of that claim. “This is also a warning for the government, that the public insists on the five demands,” said the Democratic Party’s Roy Kwong.
Lam’s official statement, released Monday, promised that the government would “listen to the opinions of members of the public humbly and seriously reflect.”
So how did the elections turn out so well for the democrats?
The election might not have happened at all. In the preceding weeks, government figures such as Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Patrick Nip had raised postponing the vote or canceling it outright for security reasons. The announcement that riot police would be at polling stations added to public disquiet, though police presence was minimal on the day of the election.
Fears that voting hours might be curtailed helped drive a morning surge in turnout. By 1:30 p.m., total turnout had already exceeded any previous district council ballot, and by the close of voting at 10:30 p.m., with nearly 3 million votes cast and 71.2 percent turnout, it was the biggest election ever held in Hong Kong. Turnout in 2015 was 1.4 million voters—47 percent of those registered—and handed 70 percent of district council seats to pro-Beijing parties.
Pan-democrats’ best-case scenario that morning had been for the pro-democracy “yellow” camp to control a narrow majority of district councils. The outcome far exceeded that. Seventeen of Hong Kong’s 18 district councils are now controlled by pan-democrats. The lone holdout, Islands district, chose pro-democracy candidates in seven of its 10 directly elected seats, but the pro-Beijing camp retains the balance of power thanks to ex officio seats given to chairs of the rural committees, local bodies representing indigenous inhabitants of the New Territories area.
Read More
Prominent protest figures such as Jimmy Sham, Tommy Cheung, and Lester Shum all won their seats, while several high-profile pro-Beijing incumbents were unseated, including the controversial Junius Ho, who is suspected of links to both organized crime and the attacks on protesters and commuters in Yuen Long on July 21, has called for opponents of the government to be “killed mercilessly,” and has been accused of making death threats against a political rival.
On a practical level, the pan-democrats’ Democratic Coalition for DC Election achieved its biggest success since its founding in 2007, minimizing clashes by getting nearly 400 candidates onto its endorsement list. But more than anything, the protests—and the government’s reaction to them—drove the results.
Registered voter numbers swelled by some 300,000 in the last year, driven by reaction to the protest movement and a pro-democracy registration campaign fronted by musician Denise Ho, whose music is banned from the mainland due to her politics. The DAB and its pro-Beijing allies did see an increase in total votes. Candidates from the Federation of Trade Unions totaled over 180,000 votes, almost double their 2015 result. But that rise was overwhelmed by the opposition, galvanized by what supporters see as an uncaring government, backed by a brutal and unaccountable police force.
One own goal from the establishment directly related to the district council election was the decision to bar the prominent activist Joshua Wong from running in the South Horizons West constituency. Left to his own devices, Wong would have been just another pro-democracy candidate. Instead, the decision—involving a bizarre episode in which an official abruptly vanished on supposed sick leave before her replacement announced Wong’s disqualification—drew international headlines and was a highly visible example of a rigged system. Wong’s replacement candidate, Kelvin Lam, unseated the DAB’s Judy Chan with 57 percent of the vote.
What does this mean for the future?
Despite the unmistakable symbolic victory, democracy activists are not universally celebrating. District councils are “powerless,” the political writer Kong Tsung-gan wrote on Twitter. “We need universal suffrage for LegCo & Chief Executive. We voted for a yellow government but everywhere we look, those in positions of power are red.”
In the short term, it’s possible that the results will empower relative moderates within the Beijing camp, perhaps allowing concessions on issues such as an inquiry into the police or the dropping of charges against protesters. But Chinese media is already blaming imagined foreign interference in the elections for the results—and a harsh reaction by a disappointed Beijing, which expected a victory, is also entirely plausible.
However, the district councils do hold a surprising amount of power. Their members take up 117 seats in the 1,200-strong Election Committee that votes for Hong Kong’s chief executive, and they have influence over seats for sports and culture representatives. One activist who views this as key is Benny Tai, a legal scholar jailed for his part in 2014’s Occupy Central protests. In 2017, Tai proposed a coordinated voting scheme for the district council elections that he called “Project Storm,” designed to disrupt Beijing’s ability to control the chief executive election process. “We should … make full use of every competitive election available by making them no longer manipulable and thus force the local and central government to change the system,” Tai told the South China Morning Post that year.
The Election Committee only chooses from Beijing-approved candidates, but chief executives have been selected by small margins. One of Carrie Lam’s nicknames is “777”—the number of votes she got when elected. Her predecessor C.Y. Leung, known as “689,” had an even narrower victory.
“The landslide victory of District Council elections means that on top of its 300 votes within professional and social services sub-sectors, democrats will gain 117 votes in District Council sub-sector. … If local capital chooses to work with democrats, they probably will get enough votes to decide the Chief Executive on their own,” the sociologist Brian Fong said on Twitter.
Any such effect on who next runs Hong Kong must wait until the next chief executive election in 2022 and survive any procedural changes Beijing imposes in the meantime. A chief executive seen as too favorable to the democrats would almost certainly be blocked by Beijing, causing another political crisis. For now, the pro-democracy camp must content itself with the pressure the outcome puts on Lam.
“Now is the time for the government to respond,” the reelected Southern District council member Paul Zimmerman said in a speech. “Don’t fail Hong Kong again.”
Michael Delaney is a pseudonym for a Hong Kong-based writer.
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Young mother dislodges three-decade-old pro-establishment dynasty in Hong Kong elections
By Barbara Miller and Brant Cumming in Hong Kong
Posted23 hours ago, updated9 hours ago
Clara Cheung said her electoral victory was about local issues as well as 'solidarity for the Hong Kong people'.(ABC News: Brant Cumming)
Clara Cheung looked like she'd had a bad shock.
Key points:
Her supporters whooped with joy.
"Clara, Clara, Clara!", they chanted, as she shook hands with the losing candidates.
Clara, a 40-year-old mother of two, part-time lecturer and art curator, looked drained and seemed momentarily on the verge of tears.
She had hoped to win, of course, but "I didn't try to expect anything".
Pro-democracy candidates took a significant early lead after residents turned out in record numbers.(ABC News: Brant Cumming)
It was a victory both locally and for Hong Kong, she said.
"The neighbours also told me besides voting for the local issues, they are also voting for the Hong Kong situation."
"It's actually about the solidarity for the Hong Kong people," she told the ABC, and then was lost for words.
Pro-democracy candidates took 385 seats, or about 85 per cent of the spots up for grabs.(ABC News: Brant Cumming)
The picture emerging was taking everyone by surprise.
A pro-democracy landslide
In the end, it was a drubbing on a monumental scale.
Pro-establishment candidates saw their bloc of seats slashed from the hundreds to the dozens.
Even seasoned observers were taken aback.
"I think it's kind of surreal," said Ma Ngok, a respected political scientist from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Associate Professor Ma said he stayed up until about 4am and then decided to call it a night when the scale of the swing was no longer in doubt.
This was not an early lead, but a landslide.
"It is an unprecedented victory for the democrats in the electoral history of Hong Kong," he told the ABC.
He said he expected the newly-minted pan-democracy councillors to come up with a list of demands on democracy and freedoms for Carrie Lam's Government.
Ma Ngok said the result was an "unprecedented" pro-democracy victory.(ABC News: Brant Cumming)
If there was no movement in these areas, it may not be long before the uneasy peace of the past days in Hong Kong was broken, he said.
"If the electoral councillors put forward demands and then the government doesn't make any significant gestures to respond to them, then we may expect some other actions by the end of the week."
Young protesters celebrate and renew momentum
Across town, a teenage boy had also not slept much, not at all in fact, he told me on a messaging app.
"John," as we've agreed to call him, said watching the results come in "was an unforgettable experience".
A week ago the 17-year-old was holed up inside the Polytechnic University, one of hundreds of protestors who laid siege to it.
At least 2.94 million people voted, a record turnout of more than 71 per cent.(Reuters: Athit Perawongmetha)
He said he managed to escape the university last Monday.
The gains for pro-democracy candidates have only added momentum to the cause, he said.
"This shows that the general public stands with the protestors firmly and it adds much confidence to me and my fellow friends," he wrote, before signing off to go and prepare for a Chinese language exam at school.
It's been a day of celebration for those who have taken part in and supported the more than five-month-long protest movement.
Inside Hong Kong's university siege
As riot police advanced, some teenaged protesters cried, some stood their ground, and some fled into the sewers.
Read more
Champagne and bonhomie have been in ample supply.
The vote in itself has changed nothing yet though, and the "five demands, not one less" mantra of the movement remains.
In the short term, all eyes will be on Chief Executive Carrie Lam's weekly presser on Tuesday morning (local time).
In a statement released on Monday, Ms Lam said the government would "respect" and "reflect on" citizens' views.
Her detractors say the time for reflection is long past.
Related Stories
'A big slap in the face': Hong Kong democracy candidates sweep local elections
As Hong Kong police advanced, some teens cried, some fled and some stood their ground
'The end is coming': One Country, Two Systems, and the countdown to 2047
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© 2019 ABC
Young mother dislodges three-decade-old pro-establishment dynasty in Hong Kong elections
By Barbara Miller and Brant Cumming in Hong Kong
Posted23 hours ago, updated9 hours ago
Clara Cheung looked like she'd had a bad shock.
Key points:
- Hong Kong pro-democracy candidates have swept the city's district council elections
- It adds momentum to the more than five-month-long protest movement
- An observer says more protests may result unless Chief Executive Carrie Lam makes changes in response to the results
Her supporters whooped with joy.
"Clara, Clara, Clara!", they chanted, as she shook hands with the losing candidates.
Clara, a 40-year-old mother of two, part-time lecturer and art curator, looked drained and seemed momentarily on the verge of tears.
She had hoped to win, of course, but "I didn't try to expect anything".
It was a victory both locally and for Hong Kong, she said.
"The neighbours also told me besides voting for the local issues, they are also voting for the Hong Kong situation."
"It's actually about the solidarity for the Hong Kong people," she told the ABC, and then was lost for words.
As Happy Valley was being declared, results elsewhere were just starting to trickle in from the labyrinth of polling stations across the city.
The picture emerging was taking everyone by surprise.
A pro-democracy landslide
In the end, it was a drubbing on a monumental scale.
Pro-establishment candidates saw their bloc of seats slashed from the hundreds to the dozens.
Even seasoned observers were taken aback.
"I think it's kind of surreal," said Ma Ngok, a respected political scientist from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Associate Professor Ma said he stayed up until about 4am and then decided to call it a night when the scale of the swing was no longer in doubt.
This was not an early lead, but a landslide.
"It is an unprecedented victory for the democrats in the electoral history of Hong Kong," he told the ABC.
He said he expected the newly-minted pan-democracy councillors to come up with a list of demands on democracy and freedoms for Carrie Lam's Government.
If there was no movement in these areas, it may not be long before the uneasy peace of the past days in Hong Kong was broken, he said.
"If the electoral councillors put forward demands and then the government doesn't make any significant gestures to respond to them, then we may expect some other actions by the end of the week."
Young protesters celebrate and renew momentum
Across town, a teenage boy had also not slept much, not at all in fact, he told me on a messaging app.
"John," as we've agreed to call him, said watching the results come in "was an unforgettable experience".
A week ago the 17-year-old was holed up inside the Polytechnic University, one of hundreds of protestors who laid siege to it.
He said he managed to escape the university last Monday.
The gains for pro-democracy candidates have only added momentum to the cause, he said.
"This shows that the general public stands with the protestors firmly and it adds much confidence to me and my fellow friends," he wrote, before signing off to go and prepare for a Chinese language exam at school.
It's been a day of celebration for those who have taken part in and supported the more than five-month-long protest movement.
Inside Hong Kong's university siege
As riot police advanced, some teenaged protesters cried, some stood their ground, and some fled into the sewers.
Read more
Champagne and bonhomie have been in ample supply.
The vote in itself has changed nothing yet though, and the "five demands, not one less" mantra of the movement remains.
In the short term, all eyes will be on Chief Executive Carrie Lam's weekly presser on Tuesday morning (local time).
In a statement released on Monday, Ms Lam said the government would "respect" and "reflect on" citizens' views.
Her detractors say the time for reflection is long past.
"I don't see that she can actually govern… but it is Beijing's call."
Related Stories
'A big slap in the face': Hong Kong democracy candidates sweep local elections
As Hong Kong police advanced, some teens cried, some fled and some stood their ground
'The end is coming': One Country, Two Systems, and the countdown to 2047
Top Stories
Prosecutors to appeal against 36-year sentence for man who raped and killed Aiia Maasarwe
54 minutes ago
Forever 17: Ursula's parents thought she went missing, 30 years later the truth came out
5 hours ago
Nadine was on her fourth NDIS appeal when she got a phone call from the agency out of the blue
Prosecutors reveal the missing link connecting Bradley Edwards to the Claremont serial killings
1 hour ago
Analysis: Westpac's nightmare has been made worse by its highly paid bosses engaging in a charade
2 hours ago
ABC NEWS Newsletter
Connect with ABC News
ABC Help
© 2019 ABC
That is correct, balless HK only suck white cock swallowed their sperms wholesome..
for decades n decades n decades when they were under the british... they've all the time to think about their future.... now then come and riot... kpkb.. hands up ... legs up.... too late oredi lah...
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For decades and decades ang mor rule HK no issues...when it gets stolen by ah tiongs chicoms all sorts of problems happen. Just shows how popular chicoms arefor decades n decades n decades when they were under the british... they've all the time to think about their future.... now then come and riot... kpkb.. hands up ... legs up.... too late oredi lah...
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Hong Kong leader admits local elections revealed 'unhappiness' with government
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks to the press in Hong Kong on Nov 26, 2019. (Photo: AFP)
26 Nov 2019 10:59AM
(Updated: 26 Nov 2019 12:13PM)
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HONG KONG: Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam acknowledged on Tuesday (Nov 26) that a crushing defeat for the city's pro-Beijing establishment in weekend polls revealed public discontent over her government's handling of months of political unrest.
The elections showed concern over "deficiencies in the government, including unhappiness with the time taken to deal with the current unstable environment and of course to end violence", Mrs Lam said at a weekly press briefing.
READ: What the democrats' landslide election victory means for Hong Kong
Mrs Lam was speaking a day after poll results showed democratic candidates secured almost 90 per cent of 452 district council seats in Sunday's local elections, a landslide victory in polls that were widely seen as a barometer of support for her.
"I did confess that this particular election has clearly reflected that many voters wanted to express their opinions and views to the government, to myself," she said.
"The views and opinions expressed ... are quite diverse. There are people who want to express the view that they could no longer tolerate the violence on the streets.
"There are of course people who felt that the government has not handled competently the legislative exercise and its aftermath."
READ: Hong Kong leader vows to 'listen humbly' as voters send sharp rebuke to Beijing
The Hong Kong government, she said, would "seriously reflect" on the views reflected by voters, and that the pro-establishment parties will continue to serve the people. She said she would "improve governance".
Despite the defeat, the central government has not asked her to take responsibility, she said.
Mrs Lam also thanked residents for orderly voting on Sunday despite a relatively volatile environment and said she hoped the peace at the weekend was a voice by people against violence.
Mrs Lam added she hoped the peace over the weekend was not just for the election, but a voice from people that they do not want violence.
READ: Hong Kong democrats score landslide victory in local elections amid political crisis
The district elections votes are important because pro-democracy groups have seized on the council polls as a chance to prove the depth of public support for the protest movement, which Beijing-aligned Mrs Lam had dismissed as the work of a radical fringe.
Outrage erupted in Hong Kong this year against a now-withdrawn Bill introduced by Lam's administration that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China.
The protesters have subsequently issued five demands, including direct elections of the legislature and chief executive, and a probe into allegations of police brutality against demonstrators.
READ: Our coverage of the Hong Kong protests
But Mrs Lam sidestepped those calls, instead reiterating an earlier pledge to open a dialogue among all parties in the territory, a proposal that opponents have dismissed as too little, too late.
"What we need to do now is (open) community dialogue and invite social leaders to help us analyse the causes of the disturbances and Hong Kong's deep-seated social problems, and to come up with solutions," Lam said.
When asked about the protesters at the Polytechnic University in Hong Kong, Mrs Lam urged protesters to leave peacefully and safely as soon as possible.
She noted that everyone wanted to "go back to their normal life" and that violence will not move things forward.
Police officers are seen inside the campus of the Polytechnic University (PolyU) in Hong Kong, China November 25, 2019. REUTERS/Marko DjuricaProtesters address the media at the campus of the Polytechnic University (PolyU) in Hong Kong, China, Nov 24, 2019. (Photo: Reuters/Marko Djurica)
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks to the press in Hong Kong on Nov 26, 2019. (Photo: AFP)
26 Nov 2019 10:59AM
(Updated: 26 Nov 2019 12:13PM)
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HONG KONG: Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam acknowledged on Tuesday (Nov 26) that a crushing defeat for the city's pro-Beijing establishment in weekend polls revealed public discontent over her government's handling of months of political unrest.
The elections showed concern over "deficiencies in the government, including unhappiness with the time taken to deal with the current unstable environment and of course to end violence", Mrs Lam said at a weekly press briefing.
READ: What the democrats' landslide election victory means for Hong Kong
Mrs Lam was speaking a day after poll results showed democratic candidates secured almost 90 per cent of 452 district council seats in Sunday's local elections, a landslide victory in polls that were widely seen as a barometer of support for her.
"I did confess that this particular election has clearly reflected that many voters wanted to express their opinions and views to the government, to myself," she said.
"The views and opinions expressed ... are quite diverse. There are people who want to express the view that they could no longer tolerate the violence on the streets.
"There are of course people who felt that the government has not handled competently the legislative exercise and its aftermath."
READ: Hong Kong leader vows to 'listen humbly' as voters send sharp rebuke to Beijing
The Hong Kong government, she said, would "seriously reflect" on the views reflected by voters, and that the pro-establishment parties will continue to serve the people. She said she would "improve governance".
Despite the defeat, the central government has not asked her to take responsibility, she said.
Mrs Lam also thanked residents for orderly voting on Sunday despite a relatively volatile environment and said she hoped the peace at the weekend was a voice by people against violence.
Mrs Lam added she hoped the peace over the weekend was not just for the election, but a voice from people that they do not want violence.
READ: Hong Kong democrats score landslide victory in local elections amid political crisis
The district elections votes are important because pro-democracy groups have seized on the council polls as a chance to prove the depth of public support for the protest movement, which Beijing-aligned Mrs Lam had dismissed as the work of a radical fringe.
Outrage erupted in Hong Kong this year against a now-withdrawn Bill introduced by Lam's administration that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China.
The protesters have subsequently issued five demands, including direct elections of the legislature and chief executive, and a probe into allegations of police brutality against demonstrators.
READ: Our coverage of the Hong Kong protests
But Mrs Lam sidestepped those calls, instead reiterating an earlier pledge to open a dialogue among all parties in the territory, a proposal that opponents have dismissed as too little, too late.
"What we need to do now is (open) community dialogue and invite social leaders to help us analyse the causes of the disturbances and Hong Kong's deep-seated social problems, and to come up with solutions," Lam said.
When asked about the protesters at the Polytechnic University in Hong Kong, Mrs Lam urged protesters to leave peacefully and safely as soon as possible.
She noted that everyone wanted to "go back to their normal life" and that violence will not move things forward.
Police officers are seen inside the campus of the Polytechnic University (PolyU) in Hong Kong, China November 25, 2019. REUTERS/Marko DjuricaProtesters address the media at the campus of the Polytechnic University (PolyU) in Hong Kong, China, Nov 24, 2019. (Photo: Reuters/Marko Djurica)
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Hong Kong leader vows to 'listen humbly' as voters send sharp rebuke to Beijing
A supporter (center) opens a bottle of champagne outside a polling station to celebrate after pro-Beijing candidate Junius Ho lost a seat in the district council elections in the Tuen Mun district of Hong Kong on Nov 25, 2019. (Photo: AFP/Philip FONG)
25 Nov 2019 12:36PM
(Updated: 25 Nov 2019 08:06PM)
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HONG KONG: Hong Kong's deeply unpopular leader vowed on Monday (Nov 25) to "listen humbly" to voters after the pro-democracy camp scored a crushing victory in community-level elections that revealed broad public support for a protest movement that has stirred months of violence.
In a rout that stunned the semi-autonomous territory, candidates seeking to loosen control by China seized an overwhelming majority of the 452 elected seats in the city's 18 district councils, bodies that have historically been firmly in the grip of a Beijing-aligned establishment.
The result, the first vote to be held since protests engulfed the city, was a humiliating rebuke to Beijing and Chief Executive Carrie Lam.
She has stubbornly dismissed calls for political reform and repeatedly suggested that a silent majority supported her administration and opposed the protest movement.
READ: Hong Kong democrats score landslide victory in local elections amid political crisis
"The government will certainly listen humbly to citizens' opinions and reflect on them seriously," Lam said in a statement issued by the government.
But she gave no specifics on the likely response.
China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Beijing "resolutely supports" the leader and backs the police and judiciary in Hong Kong in "punishing relevant violent and illegal behaviours".
Opponents quickly called on Lam to accede to a five-point list of demands, including direct elections for the city's legislature and leadership and a probe into alleged police brutality against demonstrators.
"The government must squarely face public opinion," said Wu Chi-wai, the chairman of the Democratic Party, Hong Kong's largest anti-establishment party.
Commentary: Hong Kong poll win will embolden protesters
The Labour Party, another leading component of the pro-democracy bloc, attributed the election result to "the sweat, blood and tears" of protesters.
There has been no tear gas fired in Hong Kong for a week, rare respite for a city upturned by months of chaos and violence.
The lull follows some of the most intense clashes yet between police and protesters at the city centre PolyU campus.
Dozens of newly elected councillors marched on Monday evening on the campus urging police to allow the small number of hardcore protesters who remain holed-up inside to leave freely.
Newly elected district council members, including Daniel Wong Kwok-tung (right), pay a visit to the Hong Kong Polytechnic University campus where a small number of protesters remain holed up after barricading themselves at the institution over a week ago, in the Hung Hom district in Hong Kong on Nov 25, 2019. (Photo: AFP/Anthony Wallace)
"The people of Hong Kong have spoken," Paul Zimmerman, a pro-democracy councillor re-elected in Sunday's poll, said in a speech outside PolyU.
"Now is time for the government to respond. Don't fail Hong Kong again."
Chatter on a popular web forum used to urge people to turn out for protests called for a march on Sunday to press the government to respond to the movement's demands.
'REVOLUTION'
Millions took to the streets earlier this year after Lam's government introduced a Bill to allow extraditions to China.
It was eventually withdrawn, but the resulting public anger unleashed broader demands and led to violent clashes between police and protesters.
District councils handle mundane community-level issues like garbage collection. But backlit by protests, Sunday's contest took a new political significance.
The outcome is "a sound repudiation of the (Hong Kong) administration and Beijing's policy toward Hong Kong," political analyst Willy Lam said.
But it does not mean Beijing will budge on the protesters' demands, he added.
READ: What the democrats' landslide election victory means for Hong Kong
Pro-democracy candidates grabbed 388 seats - a stunning net gain of 263 - according to local media, with the establishment holding on to only 59. Five went to independents.
Dominic Raab, the foreign minister of Britain, which handed the territory over to China in 1997, said: "There is now an opportunity to find a way through the crisis with political dialogue that reflects the legitimate aspirations of the people of Hong Kong and respects the one country two systems model."
RECORD TURNOUT
Chinese state media moved to downplay the poll debacle for pro-Beijing parties, suggesting mischief-making by western governments was at play in the poll run-up while violent protests chiselled away at the pro-government turnout.
"It is hard to imagine how many people's opinions the election result represents," ran a commentary in the China Daily.
"When people live under so heavy shadow of the rioters' terror that they dare not speak out against them."
READ: Hong Kong part of China 'no matter what happens' in elections, says foreign minister
A record 71 per cent of the 4.13 million registered voters had cast ballots, according to Hong Kong's election watchdog.
Among the losers were firebrand lawmaker Junius Ho, one of the politicians most loathed by democracy activists, and who was stabbed this month during campaigning.
"The world is turned upside down," Ho wrote on Facebook after his loss.
The vote is the closest Hong Kong gets to direct representation.
Its legislature is elected by a mix of popular vote and industry groups stacked with China loyalists.
District councils have little political sway, but some candidates for next year's legislative elections will be drawn from the councils, which also will contribute about one-tenth of the 1,200 members of the Beijing-controlled electoral college that chooses the chief executive.
Protests eased in the poll run-up after pro-democracy figures urged calm in a campaign marred earlier by violence.
One pro-democracy candidate, Andrew Chiu, had part of an ear bitten off in an attack while campaigning. He won his race.
A supporter (center) opens a bottle of champagne outside a polling station to celebrate after pro-Beijing candidate Junius Ho lost a seat in the district council elections in the Tuen Mun district of Hong Kong on Nov 25, 2019. (Photo: AFP/Philip FONG)
25 Nov 2019 12:36PM
(Updated: 25 Nov 2019 08:06PM)
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HONG KONG: Hong Kong's deeply unpopular leader vowed on Monday (Nov 25) to "listen humbly" to voters after the pro-democracy camp scored a crushing victory in community-level elections that revealed broad public support for a protest movement that has stirred months of violence.
In a rout that stunned the semi-autonomous territory, candidates seeking to loosen control by China seized an overwhelming majority of the 452 elected seats in the city's 18 district councils, bodies that have historically been firmly in the grip of a Beijing-aligned establishment.
The result, the first vote to be held since protests engulfed the city, was a humiliating rebuke to Beijing and Chief Executive Carrie Lam.
She has stubbornly dismissed calls for political reform and repeatedly suggested that a silent majority supported her administration and opposed the protest movement.
READ: Hong Kong democrats score landslide victory in local elections amid political crisis
"The government will certainly listen humbly to citizens' opinions and reflect on them seriously," Lam said in a statement issued by the government.
But she gave no specifics on the likely response.
China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Beijing "resolutely supports" the leader and backs the police and judiciary in Hong Kong in "punishing relevant violent and illegal behaviours".
Opponents quickly called on Lam to accede to a five-point list of demands, including direct elections for the city's legislature and leadership and a probe into alleged police brutality against demonstrators.
"The government must squarely face public opinion," said Wu Chi-wai, the chairman of the Democratic Party, Hong Kong's largest anti-establishment party.
Commentary: Hong Kong poll win will embolden protesters
The Labour Party, another leading component of the pro-democracy bloc, attributed the election result to "the sweat, blood and tears" of protesters.
There has been no tear gas fired in Hong Kong for a week, rare respite for a city upturned by months of chaos and violence.
The lull follows some of the most intense clashes yet between police and protesters at the city centre PolyU campus.
Dozens of newly elected councillors marched on Monday evening on the campus urging police to allow the small number of hardcore protesters who remain holed-up inside to leave freely.
Newly elected district council members, including Daniel Wong Kwok-tung (right), pay a visit to the Hong Kong Polytechnic University campus where a small number of protesters remain holed up after barricading themselves at the institution over a week ago, in the Hung Hom district in Hong Kong on Nov 25, 2019. (Photo: AFP/Anthony Wallace)
"The people of Hong Kong have spoken," Paul Zimmerman, a pro-democracy councillor re-elected in Sunday's poll, said in a speech outside PolyU.
"Now is time for the government to respond. Don't fail Hong Kong again."
Chatter on a popular web forum used to urge people to turn out for protests called for a march on Sunday to press the government to respond to the movement's demands.
'REVOLUTION'
Millions took to the streets earlier this year after Lam's government introduced a Bill to allow extraditions to China.
It was eventually withdrawn, but the resulting public anger unleashed broader demands and led to violent clashes between police and protesters.
District councils handle mundane community-level issues like garbage collection. But backlit by protests, Sunday's contest took a new political significance.
The outcome is "a sound repudiation of the (Hong Kong) administration and Beijing's policy toward Hong Kong," political analyst Willy Lam said.
But it does not mean Beijing will budge on the protesters' demands, he added.
READ: What the democrats' landslide election victory means for Hong Kong
Pro-democracy candidates grabbed 388 seats - a stunning net gain of 263 - according to local media, with the establishment holding on to only 59. Five went to independents.
Dominic Raab, the foreign minister of Britain, which handed the territory over to China in 1997, said: "There is now an opportunity to find a way through the crisis with political dialogue that reflects the legitimate aspirations of the people of Hong Kong and respects the one country two systems model."
RECORD TURNOUT
Chinese state media moved to downplay the poll debacle for pro-Beijing parties, suggesting mischief-making by western governments was at play in the poll run-up while violent protests chiselled away at the pro-government turnout.
"It is hard to imagine how many people's opinions the election result represents," ran a commentary in the China Daily.
"When people live under so heavy shadow of the rioters' terror that they dare not speak out against them."
READ: Hong Kong part of China 'no matter what happens' in elections, says foreign minister
A record 71 per cent of the 4.13 million registered voters had cast ballots, according to Hong Kong's election watchdog.
Among the losers were firebrand lawmaker Junius Ho, one of the politicians most loathed by democracy activists, and who was stabbed this month during campaigning.
"The world is turned upside down," Ho wrote on Facebook after his loss.
The vote is the closest Hong Kong gets to direct representation.
Its legislature is elected by a mix of popular vote and industry groups stacked with China loyalists.
District councils have little political sway, but some candidates for next year's legislative elections will be drawn from the councils, which also will contribute about one-tenth of the 1,200 members of the Beijing-controlled electoral college that chooses the chief executive.
Protests eased in the poll run-up after pro-democracy figures urged calm in a campaign marred earlier by violence.
One pro-democracy candidate, Andrew Chiu, had part of an ear bitten off in an attack while campaigning. He won his race.
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the ang mo were making use of the hongkies to make $$$, so wats the issue.. besides the hongkies were happy with it.. if the ang mo are sincere, ... give free passports to those who want to leave..
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What the democrats' landslide election victory means for Hong Kong
Officials open a ballot box at a polling station in Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China November 24, 2019. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
25 Nov 2019 05:08PM
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HONG KONG: Hong Kong's democrats on Monday (Nov 25) scored a landslide majority in the district council elections, which saw a record turnout after six months of anti-government protests, increasing pressure on the city's embattled leadership.
Pro-democracy candidates grabbed 388 seats - a stunning net gain of 263 - according to local media, with the establishment holding on to only 59. Five went to independents.
This translates to 17 of the 18 district councils coming under the control of the democrats, local media reported. All the district councils had been under pro-establishment control since the 2015 elections.
Almost 3 million people voted, a record turnout of more than 71 per cent was almost double the turnout at the last district elections four years ago. A record 1,104 candidates stood for elections.
"There are a lot of voters who hope to use this election and their vote to show their support for the (protest) movement and their five demands, and their dissatisfaction with the Hong Kong government," said Lester Shum, a former student leader who got elected.
"That's why so many people queued for one or two hours, no matter man or woman, young or old, they came out to vote."
WHY IS THE RESULT IMPORTANT?
Pro-democracy groups have seized on the council polls as a chance to prove the depth of public support for the protest movement, which Beijing-aligned chief executive Carrie Lam had dismissed as the work of a radical fringe.
With an annual budget of around HK$1 million (US$128,000), district councils chiefly oversee community-level tasks and their elections generated little buzz in the past.
But rising political discontent in recent years has turned them into an increasingly important barometer of public opinion. That is because balloting for the 18 councils is the only forum for full and direct elections across the city.
"Under the current political environment, a district council election that has come close to a universal suffrage situation clearly reflects people's views and political leanings," said winning democrat Andrew Chiu.
Officials open a ballot box at a polling station in Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China November 25, 2019. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
Although the district councils themselves have little political sway, their membership affects the election of Hong Kong's lawmaking body and chief executive.
Some candidates for next year's legislative elections will be drawn from the councils. These legislators will be chosen by a mix of popular vote and industry groups stacked with China loyalists in a system that ensures Beijing's control.
The district councils will also contribute about one-tenth of the 1,200 members of the Beijing-controlled electoral college that chooses the chief executive.
WHAT CAUSED THE PROTESTS?
After more than a century and a half as a British colony, Hong Kong reverted to Chinese control in 1997 under an agreement in which Beijing pledged to afford the financial hub a "high degree" of autonomy.
But moves by Beijing and the Hong Kong's administration in recent years have spurred rising fear that the unique freedoms credited for the city's success were being undermined.
These included a 2014 decision by China's rubber-stamp legislature that effectively ruled out universal suffrage and was seen as a bid to increase Beijing's control over the city's nominees for chief executive.
Officials open a ballot box at a polling station in Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China November 24, 2019. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
25 Nov 2019 05:08PM
Share this content
Bookmark
HONG KONG: Hong Kong's democrats on Monday (Nov 25) scored a landslide majority in the district council elections, which saw a record turnout after six months of anti-government protests, increasing pressure on the city's embattled leadership.
Pro-democracy candidates grabbed 388 seats - a stunning net gain of 263 - according to local media, with the establishment holding on to only 59. Five went to independents.
This translates to 17 of the 18 district councils coming under the control of the democrats, local media reported. All the district councils had been under pro-establishment control since the 2015 elections.
Almost 3 million people voted, a record turnout of more than 71 per cent was almost double the turnout at the last district elections four years ago. A record 1,104 candidates stood for elections.
"There are a lot of voters who hope to use this election and their vote to show their support for the (protest) movement and their five demands, and their dissatisfaction with the Hong Kong government," said Lester Shum, a former student leader who got elected.
"That's why so many people queued for one or two hours, no matter man or woman, young or old, they came out to vote."
WHY IS THE RESULT IMPORTANT?
Pro-democracy groups have seized on the council polls as a chance to prove the depth of public support for the protest movement, which Beijing-aligned chief executive Carrie Lam had dismissed as the work of a radical fringe.
With an annual budget of around HK$1 million (US$128,000), district councils chiefly oversee community-level tasks and their elections generated little buzz in the past.
But rising political discontent in recent years has turned them into an increasingly important barometer of public opinion. That is because balloting for the 18 councils is the only forum for full and direct elections across the city.
"Under the current political environment, a district council election that has come close to a universal suffrage situation clearly reflects people's views and political leanings," said winning democrat Andrew Chiu.
Although the district councils themselves have little political sway, their membership affects the election of Hong Kong's lawmaking body and chief executive.
Some candidates for next year's legislative elections will be drawn from the councils. These legislators will be chosen by a mix of popular vote and industry groups stacked with China loyalists in a system that ensures Beijing's control.
The district councils will also contribute about one-tenth of the 1,200 members of the Beijing-controlled electoral college that chooses the chief executive.
WHAT CAUSED THE PROTESTS?
After more than a century and a half as a British colony, Hong Kong reverted to Chinese control in 1997 under an agreement in which Beijing pledged to afford the financial hub a "high degree" of autonomy.
But moves by Beijing and the Hong Kong's administration in recent years have spurred rising fear that the unique freedoms credited for the city's success were being undermined.
These included a 2014 decision by China's rubber-stamp legislature that effectively ruled out universal suffrage and was seen as a bid to increase Beijing's control over the city's nominees for chief executive.
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