Big guns out and new bloods in – a few points to note for yesterday’s district council elections.
Record turnout
A total of about 1,468,000 out of 3.12 million registered voters came out and cast their votes. The provisional turnout rate of 47% is higher than the previous record of 44% in the district council elections of 2003.
Full Results here:
http://www.elections.gov.hk/dc2015/eng/results.html?1448239102449
Old boys defeated
Pan-dem ‘superseat’ lawmakers democrat Albert Ho and Frederick Fung of ADPL lost their seats to Junius Ho in Lok Tsui (Tuen Mun) and FTU newcomer Chan Wing-yan in Lai Kok (Sham Shui Po) respectively.
Fung in particular lost by 99 votes while his former comrade Wong Chung-ki, who was also running in the same constituency, won 215 votes.
DAB’s Christopher (‘Chirs’) Chung lost to ‘umbrella soldier’ Chui Chi-kin in Yue Wan (Eastern) while his colleague Elizabeth Quat was defeated in Chung On (Shatin) against Yip Wing of Labour Party.
Five (above four plus Chan Ka-lok of Civic Party)out of 19 legislators were ousted while only two ‘superseat’ lawmakers (James To and Starry Lee of DAB) were elected back as district councillors.
‘Umbrella soldiers’ surprise
At least five ‘umbrella soldiers’ won their respective battle. They were Chui Chi-kin (see above), Kwong Po-yin of Youngspiration in Whampoa West (Kowloon City), Lau Yung Wai in Old Market & Serenity (Tai Po), Clarisse Yeung in Tai Hang (Wan Chai), and Wong Chi-ken in Lok Wah North (Kwun Tong).
Winner: Neo Democrats; A pan-dem breakthrough unlikely
Neo Democrats is undoubtedly the biggest winner, having 15 out of 16 candidates won in the elections, including party figure Gary Fan in Wan Hang (Sai Kung).
Pan-dem camp, however, lost at least three seats to DAB in their stronghold in Kwai Tsing, implying that a comeback to take charge of any of the 18 district councils looks now a mere fantasy.
Other Results
Pokfulam
Paul Zimmerman retains his seat in commanding fashion. Hong Kong’s only non-Han district councilor still has the confidence of his constituents.
Paul Zimmerman : 1952 votes
Jeremy Young : 1114 votes
Do Shin in Tseung Kwan O
Andrew Shuen Pak-man lost to Cheung Chin-pang in gracious fashion, posting a public congratulations.
Castle Road
Liberal Party challenger Victor Ng Lung-fei (The King of Real Estate) narrowly lost to incumbent (Democratic Party), still the ‘King of Castle Road’, Cheng Lai-king.
Mid-Levels East
Democratic Party newbie Ng Siu-hong beat incumbent independent Jackie Cheung Yick Hung by less than 100 votes.
