HONG KONG — Pro-establishment candidates secured a commanding victory in the Legislative Council elections held on December 7, with results finalized early the following morning after a mandatory 16-hour voting period. The city’s legislature saw significant shifts in representation across functional constituencies, the Election Committee sector, and geographical constituencies, cementing the dominance of loyalist political groups.
The general election, which saw the polls open from 7:30 a.m. until 11:30 p.m., recorded a geographical constituency turnout of 31.90%, a slight rise of 1.7 percentage points compared to the previous cycle’s overall figure of 30.2%. Over 1.3 million registered voters cast ballots, according to the Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC).
The long night of counting revealed the composition of the new 90-seat Legislative Council, which combines representatives from three different electoral streams.
Functional and Geographical Contests See Key Defeats
Across the functional constituencies, several established figures lost their seats to fresh challengers. In the Accountancy functional constituency, newcomer Clement Ng Kam-wah triumphed with 4,389 votes, unseating the incumbent, Wong Chun-sok, who garnered 3,618 votes. Similarly, the long-standing unionist lawmaker Luk Chung-hung of the Federation of Trade Unions (FTU) failed to secure re-election in the New Territories Northwest geographical constituency, making way for victorious candidates Dennis Kwok Wing-hang and Chan Ho-fung.
Another notable upset occurred in Kowloon East, where FTU’s Aron Kwok Wai-keung lost his seat to Chui Pui-kong, despite the FTU’s overall successful result in that district, led by the incumbent and district “vote king,” Tang Ka-piu. Meanwhile, Elsie Chan, of the FTU, also failed to secure re-election in Hong Kong Island West, which saw victories for Chan Hok-fung and Chan Ka-pei.
Conversely, some high-profile incumbents retained their seats, including Kenneth Chan in the Financial sector and Edward Yip Tsz-kin in Education. Celebrated fencing champion Vivian Kong Man-wai was elected in the Tourism functional constituency, securing 131 votes against her opponent Ma Yik-chau’s 23.
In key geographical races, several incumbents successfully defended their positions. In New Territories Northeast, Gary Chan Hak-kan and Dominic Lee Tsz-king both secured re-election. Meanwhile, Christine Fong Kwok-shan, a perennial localist candidate, achieved a breakthrough win in New Territories Southeast, becoming the district’s “vote queen” with 58,828 votes, alongside the runner-up, Ip Au-tung.
Election Committee Sector: A Strong Mandate
The 40 seats allocated via the Election Committee were fiercely contested, predominantly by pro-establishment veterans and newcomers. Twenty-four incumbent lawmakers successfully transitioned or retained their seats within this sector.
DAB fielded an entirely successful slate of eight candidates, including Starry Lee and Elizabeth Quat, securing a strong presence. The FTU, however, faced mixed results, with two of their four entrants failing to win seats.
Paul Yiu, previously a functional constituency lawmaker, topped the vote tally for the Election Committee sector with 1,397 votes, earning him the title of “vote king.” Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee followed closely, securing 1,386 votes and the “vote queen” title. Several first-time aspirants gained entry through this route, including prominent figures such as Chan Chun-ying, the former head of the Police Force’s Rank and File General Association, and Jonathan Fan Chun-wah, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
EAC Chairman Addresses Extended Polling Hours
Following the announcement of results, EAC Chairman Raymond Luk Kai-hong defended the extended polling period, which ran 30 minutes longer than previous elections. Luk stated the extension was a measure to improve convenience for voters and was not intended to overtly boost turnout. Although acknowledging the increased operating costs, Luk indicated the EAC would review and analyze the efficacy of the extended hours in future elections.
The results underscore the new political landscape in the city, with a significant consolidation of power behind pro-establishment and loyalist factions in the legislature, reflecting the revamped electoral system implemented in recent years.
Leave a Reply