It is safe to say that Hong Kong's latest electoral outcome shows that residents have said no to the loss of their free, open region's independent status due to China's increased interference there.
District council elections -- equivalent to local elections -- have been held in Hong Kong. Pro-democracy candidates critical of the Chinese government and Hong Kong authorities achieved an overwhelming victory, winning more than 80 percent of 452 seats. It was the first time for pro-democracy forces to hold a majority of the seats since 1997, when Hong Kong was returned to China.
The latest elections were the first major ones since large-scale protests started in June. Voter turnout exceeded 70 percent, leaping from the then-record of about 47 percent in the preceding elections. This has demonstrated voters' sense of urgency about the loss of Hong Kong's autonomy and their strong opposition to a police crackdown on demonstrations.
The authority of Hong Kong's district councils is limited to such matters as the management of public facilities. Given that such an election is one of the few opportunities for voters to cast direct votes, however, the latest polls seem to have drawn popular attention. Hong Kong's top leader, the chief executive, is chosen through an indirect election. Only half of the members of the Legislative Council, an equivalent of the central legislature, are chosen through a direct election.
Many protest leaders and participants from pro-democracy forces ran in the elections, and they regarded the polls as a referendum on the appropriateness of the demands pressed by demonstrators. Protesters have called for the police to be held responsible for using violence against them, and are also demanding electoral and other reforms. There is no doubt that their overwhelming victory will invigorate them.
Pro-China forces criticized the turmoil resulting from the demonstrations, promising to end acts of violence. However, they suffered a sharp decrease in their seats.
The Hong Kong government must take seriously the popular will expressed through the democratic process.
Although electoral reforms will be based on the assumption of consent from the Chinese government, investigations into the police crackdown can be carried out by the Hong Kong government on its own. The Hong Kong administration needs to consider the extent to which demonstrators' demands can be accepted, while also seeking to end the current situation through dialogue.
For their part, demonstrators must also restrain themselves. Votes cast by residents for pro-democracy candidates do not mean they viewed radical protests and violent acts positively. Before the elections, Hong Kong's urban functions were paralyzed by demonstrators' obstruction of traffic and other actions. If such circumstances are repeated, they could lose popular support.
The Chinese government should use the latest elections as an opportunity to change its hard-line stance on Hong Kong.
A Hong Kong court ruled that a face mask ban implemented to repress demonstrations is unconstitutional. However, China has shown it does not intend to accept the judgment. Hong Kong's independent judiciary system is a main pillar of "one-country, two systems." China's reaction will likely further alienate Hong Kong residents.
The U.S. Congress has passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act. The move is aimed at restraining China's interference in Hong Kong. If China continues to oppose the move by decrying it as meddling in Hong Kong by external forces, it will inevitably make U.S.-China antagonism even more intense.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nov. 26, 2019)
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