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Hong Kong elections: Carrie Lam promises 'open mind' after election rout Hong Kong elections: Carrie Lam promises 'open mind' after election rout
(about 3 hours later)
Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam has said the government will listen to the public with an open mind, after pro-Beijing candidates were resoundingly defeated in local elections. Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam has said the government will "seriously reflect" after local elections saw massive gains by pro-democracy candidates.
According to local media counts, 17 of the 18 councils are now controlled by pro-democracy councillors. According to local media, 17 of the 18 district councils are now controlled by pro-democracy councillors.
The election saw an unprecedented voter turnout of more than 71% The election, the first since the wave of anti-Beijing protest began, saw an unprecedented turnout of more than 71%.
The result is being seen as a stinging rebuke of Ms Lam's leadership through many months of protest and clashes. It's being seen as a stinging rebuke of Ms Lam's leadership and a show of support for the protest movement.
In a statement released online on Monday, Ms Lam said the government respected the results.In a statement released online on Monday, Ms Lam said the government respected the results.
She said there were "various analyses and interpretations" but that "quite a few are of the view that the results reflect people's dissatisfaction with the current situation and the deep-seated problems in society". She said many felt that the results "reflect people's dissatisfaction with the current situation and the deep-seated problems in society".
The government would "listen humbly to citizens' opinions and reflect on them seriously", she said. The government would "listen to the opinions of members of the public humbly and seriously reflect", she said.
For nearly six months demonstrations and unrest have continued unabated - they were sparked by a now withdrawn extradition bill.
Police have at times used live rounds, wounding several protesters. Activists in turn have attacked police and in one case set alight a government supporter.
Sunday's vote - which unfolded without incident - was the opportunity for people to express at the ballot box their view of Ms Lam's handling of the crisis.
The government and Beijing had been hoping the election would bring a show of support from the so-called "silent majority", but that did not materialise.
Instead some high-profile pro-Beijing candidates lost their seats.
What does it mean for Hong Kong?What does it mean for Hong Kong?
Hong Kong's district councillors have little political power and mainly deal with local issues such as bus routes and rubbish collection, so the district elections don't normally generate such interest. The district councillors have little political power and mainly deal with local issues such as bus routes and rubbish collection, so the district elections don't normally generate such interest.
But the district councillors also get to choose 117 of their number to sit on the 1,200-member committee that selects Hong Kong's leader, the chief executive. The landslide results mean all of those 117 seats are now likely to go to pro-democracy candidates. But the councillors also get to choose 117 of their number to sit on the 1,200-member committee that selects Hong Kong's chief executive.
But this result is also highly symbolic. The landslide results mean all of those 117 seats are now likely to go to pro-democracy candidates, so they will have a greater influence over that decision.
It was always unclear how much of the general population still supported the protesters as violence escalated each month, and authorities had been hoping the election result might marginalise the protesters as a small group of fringe extremists. But the result is also highly symbolic, as it was the first opportunity for people to express at the ballot box their view of Ms Lam's handling of the crisis.
But in many districts, young first-time candidates, many who had explicitly aligned themselves with the protesters, unseated established politicians backing the government. The government, and China's leaders in Beijing, had been hoping the election would bring a show of support from the so-called "silent majority" which they say disapproves of the protests.
The hope from activists is that the overwhelming victory of anti-establishment parties will force the government to take protesters' demands more seriously. But that did not materialise - instead some high-profile pro-Beijing candidates lost their seats as voters overwhelmingly backed pro-democracy candidates.
The hope from activists is that the overwhelming victory of anti-establishment parties will force the government to their demands more seriously.
What does Beijing say?
There has been no official comment from Beijing. But Foreign Minister Wang Yi, speaking in Japan, reiterated that "no matter what happens, Hong Kong is a part of China".
"Any attempt to mess up Hong Kong, or even damage its prosperity and stability, will not succeed," he said.
State media outlets have been cautious in reporting the results.
State news agency Xinhua has yet to report the results. Meanwhile, the English edition of state-backed tabloid Global Times attributed the result to the "abnormal" circumstances which made it easier for the pro-democracy camp to mobilise their voters.
It also alleged that "western forces" have been supporting the opposition.
Ahead of the vote, state media had been urging people to vote for stability and against the unrest.
What is Hong Kong's political unrest about?
Hong Kong, once a British colony, is part of China but it has some autonomy and people have more rights than on the mainland
That special status is set to expire in 2047, and many in Hong Kong don't want to become "another Chinese city".
The current protests started in June against a planned law which would have cleared the way for criminal suspects to be extradited to the mainland. Many feared this would undermine the city's freedoms or be used to silence anti-Beijing voices.
The bill was withdrawn in September but demonstrations continued.
Clashes between police and activists have become increasingly violent, with police firing live bullets and protesters attacking officers with bows and arrows or throwing petrol bombs.
The demands of the protesters, mostly young people, have expanded to include genuine universal suffrage and an inquiry into allegations of police brutality.