The government yesterday welcomed landslide victories among pro-democracy candidates in Sunday’s Hong Kong district council elections, with the results touted as a rejection of the Beijing-backed Hong Kong government.
The elections came amid months of social unrest triggered by a now-scrapped bill that would have allowed the deportation of Hong Kongers to China. The movement morphed into a pro-democracy movement.
Hong Kong media reported that as of 11am yesterday, official figures showed that a record 71.2 percent of registered voters had cast their ballots, with pro-democracy candidates capturing at least 388 of the 452 seats contested across 18 district councils.
Photo: CNA
Presidential Office spokesman Ting Yun-kung (丁允恭) said in a statement that the results reflect the “absolute will” of Hong Kongers to pursue democracy and freedom.
The Presidential Office salutes the people of Hong Kong, Ting said.
“We urge Beijing and the Hong Kong government to accept the will of its people, and fulfill the promise of the Beijing and Hong Kong governments to maintain a free and democratic Hong Kong,” he said.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
“Only by taking this path and by having sincere dialogue with its people can conflict and confrontation be resolved,” he said.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said she was happy to see how many Hong Kongers participated in the democratic process and expressed their voice through voting.
“We hope the results of the elections will be respected,” Tsai said, calling on Hong Kong to continue its march toward democracy.
The Mainland Affairs Council lauded the determination of Hong Kongers to protect their core values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law through the democratic process.
It urged the governments of Hong Kong and Beijing to interpret the results correctly and respond positively, not with continued suppression, so that Hong Kong can return to normal as soon as possible.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said in a statement that the elections showed “the rule of law persists, despite months of unrest.”
The results represent a vote of no confidence by Hong Kongers in Chinese rule, the KMT said, adding that the Hong Kong government should engage in dialogue with its people and implement genuine universal suffrage.
The campaign office of Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), the KMT’s presidential candidate, said that the authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing should listen to the voice of the people.
Hopefully, Taiwan’s democracy can help Hong Kong implement a democratic general election to help the territory solve its problems, Han’s office said.
People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜), who is also seeking the presidency, urged pan-democratic parties to select trustworthy representatives to forge a dialogue with Hong Kong and Beijing.
“This is a great opportunity. The key to the democratic development is to have dialogue,” Soong said. “To have dialogue, there should be points of contact, as well as participants. There should also be strategies for how to engage in dialogue.”
“The street protests in Hong Kong over the past few months are not something we want to see,” he said.
“We should concern ourselves with stability and prosperity in Asia,” he said, adding that the election results are an issue of governance, not of sovereignty.
Additional reporting by Wang Jung-hsiang and Shelley Shan
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