Hong Kong Today
今日香港
By-election result adds worries over Hong Kong's prospects
補選結果為港前景添憂
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In the New Territories East Legco by-election, Civic Party candidate Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu narrowly beat DAB's Holden Chow Ho-ding. But what even more deserves concern is that radical  localist Edward Leung Tin-kei who openly supports "resistance with no bottom line" and Hong Kong independence won double-digit support rate and ranked third in an exit poll  , reflecting that the chances for these people to enter the Legco this autumn have greatly increased.
Over 400,000 New Territories East voters yesterday voted on who was to fill in the vacancy left behind by lawmaker Ronny Tong Ka-wah's resignation. In this fight between new-generation successors of the Civic Party and DAB, whether it was Yeung or Chow who got elected has limited effect on the current Legco's political environment, especially when the legislators only have a term of less than half a year left.
What raises most concern is that Leung, the spokesman of Hong Kong Indigenous and a year-five student of HKU Department of Philosophy, is one of those arrested in the Mong Kok riot on Lunar New Year's Day. This is the first time someone who clearly supports violent resistance has run a Legco election. He actually won nearly double-digit support rate, some votes of which came from traditional pan-democrat supporters.
Localists determined to enter Legco in September
Though in last year's district council election, many from the "post-umbrella" era rose, those elected were people who mostly focused on district issues and won support from people hoping for change with their new image. The chances of those who have clearly-defined political stances are lower. The only candidate who clearly supports Hong Kong independence got only over 100 votes, slightly above 5 per cent, almost losing the election deposit .
To radical localists including Leung, they did not bear much hope in this single-seat single-vote system, setting their eyes on the Legco election in September instead. Then they will have a chance to be elected with some tens of thousands of votes through the proportional representation of single non-transferable votes. The by-election is just a warm-up and testing the waters.
In the 2012 Legco election, the legislator with the lowest votes in New Territories East had only a little over 28,000 votes. Leung has won almost double this figure.
Radical localists will be running in various election districts this autumn. If they are elected, the discipline of Legco will become even more chaotic .
Traditional pan-democrats cannot break out of the difficult situation
Hong Kong independence supporters with violent resistance emerged and reflected their support through the number of votes. That not only appears in the political circle but there are also more and more support in the universities including some student unions being headed by people holding to such political stance .
Such political stance has from earlier sporadic online views gradually collected into several organized powers showing its effect in netizens , university students as well as other circles. This time the traditional pan-democratic camp had to fight hard to keep their seats, losing some of their votes to radical and pro-establishment camp.
In Taiwan's legislative election last year, Kuomingtang was bitterly defeated and a new Taiwan Independence force from the Sunflower movement made up mainly of the young generation emerged. Its influence on Taiwan's future political situation must not be underestimated. There is also such trend in Hong Kong, not only affecting the Legco's environment but also intensifying Hong Kong's internal political conflict, leading to tenser relations with the central government. It is really worrying and must be taken seriously.
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