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Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Forces Score Landslide Win

William Gallo

   HONG KONG - Hong Kong pro-democracy forces scored a sweeping victory in
   local elections Sunday that saw a record number of voters deliver a
   stunning rebuke to Beijing.

   Opposition candidates won nearly 90 percent of contested seats,
   according to public broadcaster RTHK. The democrats will now control 17
   of 18 district councils, after having previously controlled zero.

   The vote was a major symbolic blow to pro-China forces that dominate
   Hong Kong politics, and the latest evidence of continued public support
   for a five-month-old pro-democracy movement that has become
   increasingly aggressive.

   "Hong Kongers have spoken out, loud and clear. The international
   community must acknowledge that, almost six months in, public opinion
   has NOT turned against the movement," student activist Joshua Wong said
   on Twitter.

     This is historic. Early returns suggest a landslide victory for the
     opposition camp. Hong Kongers have spoken out, loud and clear. The
     international community must acknowledge that, almost six months in,
     public opinion has NOT turned against the movement.
     [1]https://t.co/zHFfC85YgC
     -- Joshua Wong é»ä¹é ð· (@joshuawongcf) [2]November 24, 2019

   "This is a sweeping victory, far beyond people's expectations," David
   Zweig, professor emeritus at Hong Kong University of Science and
   Technology, said.

   The vote will not significantly change the balance of power in Hong
   Kong's quasi-democratic political system. District council members have
   no power to pass legislation; they deal mainly with hyperlocal issues,
   such as noise complaints and bus stop locations.

   However, the district council vote is seen as one of the most reliable
   indicators of public opinion, since it is the only fully democratic
   election in Hong Kong.

References

   1. https://t.co/zHFfC85YgC
   2. https://twitter.com/joshuawongcf/status/1198656208728678405?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

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