Hong Kong votes in first election since democracy protests

Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets for over two months at the end of a year ago demanding fully free elections for the city’s next leader, in what was called the “Umbrella Movement”.

The Umbrella Movement was created during the 2014 protests that erupted after the Chinese government introduced an election law, under which the people of Hong Kong will have to elect their next leader from a list of Beijing-vetted candidates in 2017.

Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a “one country, two systems” formula that gives it substantial autonomy and freedoms, with universal suffrage promised as an “ultimate goal”.

Despite the small success for Hong Kong’s so-called “Umbrella soldiers” in Sunday’s election, the balance of power in the semi-autonomous district remains largely the same.

“It’s a total surprise”. But despite their marginal role in the running of the territory (they have small budgets which they can spend on local events, such as festivals), elections to them are still closely watched as an indicator of political sentiment: they are freely contested, without the kind of gerrymandering that skews the outcomes of other elections in the territory in favour of pro-government candidates.

“We will prove we’re serious”, added Kwong Po-yin, 29, of new pro-democracy group Youngspiration, who also won.

In Hung Hom, on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong, elderly from nursing homes were bused in to vote by “volunteers” who were also working with the pro-Beijing candidate, the South China Morning Post reported. His main challenger, 25-year-old Chan Wing-yan, backed by both Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong and the Federation of Trade Unions beat him by 99 votes. Veteran pro-Beijing lawmaker Christopher Chung Shu-kun lost his seat to first-time challenger and Occupy protestor, Chui Chi-kin.

With 431 seats in district councils, he said it is “normal to see representatives from different camps”.

The Democratic Party, the largest pro-democracy party, dropped four seats from 47 to 43.

Gary Fan of relative newcomers the NeoDemocrats, which won 15 out of the 16 seats it contested, said voters had used their votes to show dissatisfaction with established political parties.

Residents told The Straits Times that candidates with plans to improve living conditions at the district level, from bus services to lower rentals, won their vote.

“Our battle to get back Hong Kong has just begun”, said the group’s spokesman Baggio Leung.

“The paratroops are the new force ” said James Sung a political analyst at the City University of Hong Kong referring to candidates inspired by the Umbrella movement. “Beijing should be reassured”. Fan was regarded as one of the most outspoken pan-democrats advocating localism, urging the government to make Hongkongers’ interests the top priority in policy-making.