A YEAR ago thousands of demonstrators staged more than 11 weeks of sit-ins on busy streets in Hong Kong in the most sustained street campaign for democratic reform ever mounted in the territory. In the first election since then, held on November 22nd, a record 47% of the 3.1m people eligible to vote did so, to choose representatives to serve in District Councils which advise the government on a wide range of issues, especially matters relating to public services. The results showed that the territory remains deeply divided over last year’s upheaval. Hong Kong’s hugely unpopular chief executive, Leung Chun-ying, will take little comfort.
The councils, which have 431 seats (68 of them were uncontested), are the lowest tier of elected representation in Hong Kong. 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....Continue reading
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