On Sunday he won a seat in the 70-member Legislative Council.
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Hong Kong voted Sunday in the specially administered Chinese city’s most crucial election since the handover from Britain in 1997, the outcome of which could pave the way for a fresh round of political confrontations over Beijing’s control of the city. Until now, the pro-democracy forces in the city have been dominated by politicians who sought to expand the power of voters to select the city’s leaders and lawmakers under the guidance of the mini-constitution that codifies Hong Kong’s special relationship with mainland China, called “one country, two systems”.
The city-wide vote was the biggest since mass pro-democracy protests in 2014 and saw candidates fighting for seats in the Legislative Council (LegCo), as concerns grow that Beijing is tightening its grip on the semi-autonomous city.
His election is a validation of the 2014 rallies, says Law, one of at least four young campaigners who are calling for more distance from Beijing to win a LegCo seat.
“This shows that Hong Kong people want changes, it shows that Hong Kong people want to resist”, said Leung. “People are voting for a new way and new future of our democratic movement”.
Pro-independence activist Edward Leung, who was blocked from running, threw his support behind Youngspiration candidates Sixtus Leung – also known as Baggio – and Yau. Their group was formed during the 2014 protests and proposes a similar plan as Demosisto.
“People want change, change meaning that they want new faces. but the price is a further fragmentation (of the democracy camp)”. “This is what Beijing should know”. “When we cannot trust “one country, two systems” and the Basic Law to maintain the distinction between Hong Kong’s system and Beijing, then the next step, the answer is to cut things off”.
Hong Kongers have sent several young, radical politicians into the city’s legislature in a landmark election that could lead to increased tensions between the city and the Beijing government.
The term of the newly-elected LegCo members will begin on October 1.
Beijing was last night braced to receive a blow in Hong Kong’s elections as pro-independence candidates were poised to win seats on its ruling council.
Radical activist Avery Ng was restrained by police after he threw a sandwich at Hong Kong’s widely unpopular Beijing-backed leader, Leung Chun-ying.
Several young activists who oppose China’s control over Hong Kong have been elected to the territory’s legislature in a sign of growing political polarisation and anger with Beijing.
At some polling stations, there were long queues until until 2:30am local time (18:30 Sunday GMT) – four hours later than the scheduled cut-off time – with a turnout of nearly 60 percent of 3.7 million voters.
His constituency will elect six seats and he was now in second place, with 90 per cent of votes counted, the results showed.
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Hong Kong Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Raymond Tam said the government would do its best to “bring them around to a more centrist position”.
