Winning the majority of district council seats is considered a "turning point", giving new pro-Hong Kong democracy supporters new leverage.

As of 8am this morning, democratic candidates have won a majority of votes in the majority of city councils, accounting for 333/452 seats, while pro-government groups won 52 seats, according to media estimates. informed. Meanwhile, according to information on SCMP, up to 9am, the democratic side won at 17/18 district council.

All district councils were controlled by pro-government parties in the 2015 election, and the democratic side then occupied only 100 seats. This latest result reflects the fact that the will of the pro-democracy faction in Hong Kong has been well received, experts said.

Many democracy campaigners called the results of the November 24 election "an important turning point." "There is a deep awakening within the people of Hong Kong," said Alan Leong, chairman of the Civil Party.

The district council race in Hong Kong has traditionally tended to focus on public issues such as meeting residential needs for bus stops and traffic lights. But this year's council election has a different meaning, seen as a referendum on the worst political instability that the special zone is going through in decades.

According to observers, winning the ballot box is likely to spur the democracy movement in Hong Kong, which is struggling to keep a balance between peaceful protests and violence, achieving its goals. . It could also exacerbate the challenges for China's central government, which wants to curb instability in the special zone.

On the other hand, the results could give Hong Kong residents a bigger say in government choice.

Party chairman Leong called on China to change its policy on Hong Kong. "If the Chinese Communist Party does nothing to address the concerns of the Hong Kong people, I think this movement cannot be stopped," he said, referring to pro-democracy protests.

Some of the pro-democracy advocates have hoped that winning the county elections will give them an edge when the election committee chooses the chief executive, however, this is a really far future. .

Prior to the election, special zone leaders feared the vote could be canceled because of turmoil for months. Some of the most intense clashes between protesters and police broke out last week, turning two university dormitories into battlefields.

But the atmosphere in Hong Kong yesterday was relatively calm and the percentage of voters voting was beyond imagination. Voters line up at the polling stations from morning till evening.

David Lee, nearly 90 years old, was one of the first voters to vote. He said he went to the county council because he wanted democracy. "That's important," he emphasized.

Joseph Cheng, a former professor at the City University of Hong Kong, once predicted that pro-democracy candidates would find it hard to prevail. Pro-Beijing candidates have better financial support and district races often focus on local issues, not big questions like democracy.

But the percentage of voters who went to vote had jumped 71%, exceeding expectations. Typically, at county council elections, the rate is just over 40%. Four years ago, after the Umbrella Movement in 2014 increased public interest in political issues, the voting rate increased to 47%. This year, the number of voters reached a record level.

After the November 24 defeat, Michael Tien, a pro-Beijing lawmaker, said the rise in the number of young voters was a sign that they were increasingly interested in politics and the government should settle down. hear their voices.

Regina Ip, a cabinet member, leader of a pro-central political party in Beijing, said she was surprised to see so many young voters present at the polling stations. Many people went directly to her to ask for requests from the protesters.

"Normally, young people don't go to vote. But this time, the opposition has made them change," she said.

Kenneth Chan, a political and state expert at Baptist University, Hong Kong, said more than 70% of voters clearly indicate the special zone's wishes for democracy and they "rely on the election." dispatched to find a way out of the deadlock. "

Lawrence Reardon, an associate professor of political science at the University of New Hampshire, an expert on Chinese politics, called the percentage of voters voting yesterday "an" extraordinary "number, but considering voting have the opportunity to vote for a special district chief.

"The recent vote proves that voters, both old and young, are supporting the democracy movement," Reardon commented. "It will make party leaders in Beijing more cautious."

"This is an important message to the government that Hong Kong people believe in democracy, rule of law and human rights," said David Alton, member of the British House of Lords, an international election watchdog. . "The elections are peaceful, seem fair and well controlled."

"It gives voters the opportunity to peacefully express that they are dissatisfied with the Hong Kong government, Hong Kong police and also those supported by Beijing," said Stanley Rosen, chief science professor therapist and expert on China at the University of Southern California, said.

Hong Kong saw protests erupting in June, initially to protest the extradition bill that will allow suspects to be brought to jurisdictions where the Special Zone has not signed an extradition treaty, including China. green. After the Hong Kong government announced the withdrawal of the bill, protesters still took to the streets to make other requests, including investigating the use of force by police, organizing democratic elections and the Chief of Special Zone. Carrie Lam resigns.

The weak outcome of pro-government parties in the district council election is evidence that support for the extradition bill has adversely affected their image in the public eye. It also shows their limited ability to persuade voters despite receiving much support from mainland China.

Matthew Cheung, the special secretary general, the second senior official in Hong Kong, yesterday announced that the city leadership will pay special attention to the outcome of the vote no matter which way it leans.

"The county council election is an important political thermometer," he stressed. "We will definitely take it seriously."

This morning, Carrie Lam said that the government respected the election results and pledged to listen to the public's views with an "open mind." She also hopes the city will continue to maintain peace, security and order.