Hong Kong pro-democracy vote falls short

• Article
• Comments ()
• Click-2-Listen
• Videos

By

HONG KONG -- Pro-democracy candidates made small gains in Hong Kong's elections but failed to make the inroads that they had expected and needed in order to push their agenda of universal suffrage, according to partial results released today.

Democratic leaders expressed disappointment at the results of yesterday's vote but took heart from winning a majority of the popular vote, an indication, they said, that Hong Kong residents were dissatisfied with their Beijing-backed rulers.

With about 70 percent of votes counted, the pro-democracy camp had extended its presence in the southern Chinese enclave's 60-seat Legislative Council from 22 seats to 23 or 24, far below the 28 or 29 they had hoped for.

About 55.6 percent, or 1.78 million, of the 3.2 million registered voters had turned out, the highest number of ballots cast in any election in Hong Kong. Results were delayed after electoral officials ordered a recount of ballots cast on Hong Kong island.

The chairman of the electoral-affairs commission, Woo Kwok-hing, did not explain the reasons for the recount, but pro-democracy candidates had complained of irregularities and missing ballot papers.

Politicians from the opposition Democratic Party conceded that they probably had fallen short of expectations after two candidates became embroiled in campaign scandals. One remains locked up in mainland China after police said he was caught with a prostitute.

"I am not happy with that," said Martin Lee, the movement's veteran figurehead, after exit polls predicted a poor showing by Democrats.

Yeung Sum, chairman of the Democratic Party, the pro-democracy camp's prime organization, put a brave face on things.

"We would have liked to get more seats, obviously, but we appear to have won a majority of the vote, so we are pleased with that," Mr. Yeung said.

Yesterday's election was being seen as a referendum on the city's feelings toward Beijing after 14 months of turmoil when the Chinese leadership was accused of interfering in the running of the city.