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| Hong Kong elections: Pro-democracy group makes big gains | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Hong Kong's opposition pro-democracy movement has made strong gains in the Chinese territory's district council elections, local media reports say. | Hong Kong's opposition pro-democracy movement has made strong gains in the Chinese territory's district council elections, local media reports say. |
| It took 196 of the first 236 seats declared, according to the South China Morning Post newspaper. Pro-Beijing candidates took just 28. | |
| More than 2.9m people voted, a turnout of more than 71%, against 47% in 2015. | More than 2.9m people voted, a turnout of more than 71%, against 47% in 2015. |
| The election is being seen as a test of support for embattled Chief Executive Carrie Lam. | The election is being seen as a test of support for embattled Chief Executive Carrie Lam. |
| Pro-democracy protest groups want the vote to send a message to the Chinese government after five months of unrest and anti-government protests. | Pro-democracy protest groups want the vote to send a message to the Chinese government after five months of unrest and anti-government protests. |
| Pro-Beijing candidates had called on voters to support them in order to express frustration at the upheaval caused in recent months by continuous clashes between protesters and police. | Pro-Beijing candidates had called on voters to support them in order to express frustration at the upheaval caused in recent months by continuous clashes between protesters and police. |
| A record 4.1 million people had registered to vote, or more than half the population of 7.4 million. | A record 4.1 million people had registered to vote, or more than half the population of 7.4 million. |
| Hong Kong's district councils traditionally have some influence in choosing the city's chief executive. | Hong Kong's district councils traditionally have some influence in choosing the city's chief executive. |
| Casting her vote, Ms Lam promised to listen "more intensively" to the views of district councils. | Casting her vote, Ms Lam promised to listen "more intensively" to the views of district councils. |
| What's the latest? | What's the latest? |
| Some notable names ran in the elections, including pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho, one of the most controversial politicians in the city, who is reported to have suffered a shock defeat. | Some notable names ran in the elections, including pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho, one of the most controversial politicians in the city, who is reported to have suffered a shock defeat. |
| He was stabbed earlier this month by a man pretending to be a supporter. The lawmaker has openly voiced his support for Hong Kong's police force on multiple occasions. He was in July filmed shaking hands with a group of men - suspected of being triad gangsters - who later assaulted pro-democracy protesters. | He was stabbed earlier this month by a man pretending to be a supporter. The lawmaker has openly voiced his support for Hong Kong's police force on multiple occasions. He was in July filmed shaking hands with a group of men - suspected of being triad gangsters - who later assaulted pro-democracy protesters. |
| Jimmy Sham, a political activist who has recently risen to prominence as the leader of the Civil Human Rights Front - a campaign group responsible for organising some of the mass protest marches - is reported to have won a seat after running for the first time. | Jimmy Sham, a political activist who has recently risen to prominence as the leader of the Civil Human Rights Front - a campaign group responsible for organising some of the mass protest marches - is reported to have won a seat after running for the first time. |
| Mr Sham has also been attacked twice, once apparently with hammers. Photographs showed him lying on the street covered in blood. | Mr Sham has also been attacked twice, once apparently with hammers. Photographs showed him lying on the street covered in blood. |
| Standing on crutches, Mr Sham told Reuters news agency on Sunday that the election was "special because it is a formal confrontation between pro-establishment and pro-democracy parties". | Standing on crutches, Mr Sham told Reuters news agency on Sunday that the election was "special because it is a formal confrontation between pro-establishment and pro-democracy parties". |
| Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong was barred from running in the elections, a move he referred to as "political screening", but the pro-democracy candidate who replaced him is said to have won. | Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong was barred from running in the elections, a move he referred to as "political screening", but the pro-democracy candidate who replaced him is said to have won. |
| In a tweet, Mr Wong said the "historic" results showed that public opinion had not turned against the pro-democracy movement. | In a tweet, Mr Wong said the "historic" results showed that public opinion had not turned against the pro-democracy movement. |
| Reflecting on her reported defeat, pro-Beijing lawmaker Alice Mak suggested Ms Lam's administration was partly to blame. | Reflecting on her reported defeat, pro-Beijing lawmaker Alice Mak suggested Ms Lam's administration was partly to blame. |
| "In the election campaign, pro-government candidates have been unfairly treated. This is a very important reason," she said. | "In the election campaign, pro-government candidates have been unfairly treated. This is a very important reason," she said. |
| 'A wipeout beyond imagination' | |
| Stephen McDonell, BBC China correspondent | |
| Outside the Yau Ma Tei North polling station, local residents lined up to gain entry so they could watch the vote count. The doors opened and they poured into the public viewing area. | |
| Six months into an ongoing political crisis, people have lost faith in government institutions. They wanted to make sure that this process was fair and transparent. | |
| As they waited for the total in their own district council to be tallied, they could see the numbers coming in from elsewhere on their mobile phones. | |
| By their facial expressions it was clear they couldn't believe what was unfolding, and people cheered in astonishment as one surprising result came in after another. | |
| Nobody imagined such a comprehensive wipeout, and Carrie Lam's administration will no doubt come under renewed pressure to listen to the demands of protestors following such an overwhelming defeat for her and her allies. | |
| More than 1,000 candidates ran for 452 district council seats which, for the first time, were all contested. A further 27 seats are allocated to representatives of rural districts. | More than 1,000 candidates ran for 452 district council seats which, for the first time, were all contested. A further 27 seats are allocated to representatives of rural districts. |
| Pro-Beijing parties held the majority of these seats ahead of the election. | Pro-Beijing parties held the majority of these seats ahead of the election. |
| Police were seen outside some polling stations and on the streets but correspondents said they kept a low profile. | Police were seen outside some polling stations and on the streets but correspondents said they kept a low profile. |
| "Facing the extremely challenging situation, I'm pleased to say... we have a relatively calm and peaceful environment for [the] election today," Carrie Lam said after voting. | "Facing the extremely challenging situation, I'm pleased to say... we have a relatively calm and peaceful environment for [the] election today," Carrie Lam said after voting. |
| Why are these elections important? | Why are these elections important? |
| District councils themselves have very little actual power, so usually these elections take place on a very local level. | District councils themselves have very little actual power, so usually these elections take place on a very local level. |
| But this election is different. | But this election is different. |
| They are the first elections since anti-government protests started in June, so they will act as a litmus test, reflecting how much support there is for the current government. | They are the first elections since anti-government protests started in June, so they will act as a litmus test, reflecting how much support there is for the current government. |
| "People in Hong Kong have begun to see this election as an additional way to articulate and express their views on the state of Hong Kong in general and the government of Carrie Lam," Kenneth Chan, associate professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, told Reuters news agency. | "People in Hong Kong have begun to see this election as an additional way to articulate and express their views on the state of Hong Kong in general and the government of Carrie Lam," Kenneth Chan, associate professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, told Reuters news agency. |
| Then there is the issue of Hong Kong's chief executive. Under Hong Kong's electoral system, 117 of the district councillors will also sit on the 1,200-member committee that votes for the chief executive. | Then there is the issue of Hong Kong's chief executive. Under Hong Kong's electoral system, 117 of the district councillors will also sit on the 1,200-member committee that votes for the chief executive. |
| So a pro-democracy district win could translate eventually to a bigger share, and say, in who becomes the city's next leader. | So a pro-democracy district win could translate eventually to a bigger share, and say, in who becomes the city's next leader. |