Hong Kong leader admits voter 'discontent' with government

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam acknowledged on Tuesday that the record number of voters in district elections highlighted dissatisfaction with the government as she thanked residents for voting peacefully despite a relatively volatile environment.

Lam spoke a day after results showed democratic candidates secured almost 90% of 452 district council seats in Sunday's elections, a landslide victory in polls that were widely seen as a barometer of support for the Beijing-backed leader.

Hong Kong has enjoyed a rare lull in violence for nearly a week, breaking from six months of often violent anti-government unrest that has plunged the former British colony into its biggest political crisis in decades.

The embattled Lam said she hoped the peaceful weekend was not just for the elections but a signal that people in the Chinese-ruled city wanted an end to violence.

Protests have sprung up on an almost daily basis since June, with flash mobs often gathering with little or no notice, at times forcing the government, businesses, schools and even the city's international airport to close.

The violence had escalated up to last week, with protesters hurling petrol bombs and firing arrows at police who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.

Demonstrators are angry at what they see as Chinese meddling in the freedoms promised to the former British colony when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

China denies interfering and says it is committed to the "one country, two systems" formula put in place at that time. Police say they have shown restraint in the face of potentially deadly attacks.

The anti-government demonstrations bolstered support for democrats in Sunday's elections, with a record number of residents taking to polling stations to vote.

The victory for the democrats, with a record of nearly 3 million voters, poses a conundrum for Beijing and piles pressure on Lam, who is facing renewed calls to step down. The democrats took control of 17 out of 18 district councils.

First Step?

Democratic Party chairman Wu Chi-wai described the election as the first step on the way to full democracy. "This district election shows that the central government needs to face the demands of a democratic system," he said.

Along with universal suffrage, the protesters' demands include an independent inquiry into perceived police brutality.

"This is the power of democracy. This is a democratic tsunami," said Tommy Cheung, a former student protest leader who won a seat in the Yuen Long district close to China's border.

Asked whether the chief executive should consider her position in light of the election results, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Beijing "firmly supports" Lam's leadership. Hong Kong's most urgent task was to restore order and stop the violence, Geng told a daily briefing.

In self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as its own, the presidential office expressed "great admiration" for the election result which it said demonstrated Hong Kong's will to pursue freedom and democracy.

In Washington, a senior official with President Donald Trump's administration said the United States congratulates Hong Kong "for conducting and participating in free, fair, and peaceful" elections.

"The American people support all those who cherish liberty and democracy," the official said on condition of anonymity.

The number of seats held by the pro-democracy camp more than quadrupled and turnout, at 71%, was almost double the number in the previous polls four years ago.

Starry Lee, chairwoman of the city's largest pro-Beijing party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, apologised for her party's performance.

"For this major defeat, we do not want to find any excuses and reasons," said Lee. She said the party rejected her offer to resign earlier on Monday.

'Path Of Struggle'

Former student leader Lester Shum, who won a seat, said district councils were just one path to democracy. "In future, we must find other paths of struggle to keep fighting," he said.

China's state-run Xinhua news agency announced the completion of the election but did not say which side had won.

Demonstrators are angry at what they see as Chinese meddling in the freedoms promised to the former British colony when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

China denies interfering and says it is committed to the "one country, two systems" formula put in place at that time. Police say they have shown restraint in the face of potentially deadly attacks.

Britain said it welcomed Lam's promise to "seriously reflect" on the result.

Jimmy Sham, a leader of the Civil Human Rights Front, which organised some of the anti-government rallies, won his electoral contest, while some pro-Beijing heavyweights lost.

Sham and other democrats entered the Polytechnic University to urge police to end a standoff and allow humanitarian assistance to the few protesters trapped inside, with fears rising about their physical and emotional health. They left after meeting two protesters whom they were unable to convince to leave.

The university is surrounded by riot police, after about 1,100 were arrested last week, some while trying to escape. There was a small standoff between police and protesters outside the campus on Monday evening, with many shouting "come out" and hurling abuse at police.

The protests started over a now-withdrawn extradition bill that would have allowed people to be sent to mainland China for trial but rapidly evolved into calls for full democracy, posing the biggest populist challenge to Chinese President Xi Jinping since he came to power in 2012.