SINGAPORE — Pro-democracy candidates in Hong Kong scored a resounding victory in the city’s district council elections held on Sunday (Nov 24), in what some observers regard as a rebuke to Beijing.

They swept up 388 seats, or about 86 per cent, of the 452 seats, Hong Kong public broadcaster RTHK reported. This was a sharp rise from just 124 previously.

Pro-Beijing candidates scored 60 seats, down from 300, the South China Morning Post reported.

Out of the 18 district councils, the democrats’ camp won majorities in 17, an almost 100 per cent reversal of the last elections in 2015, when the pro-Beijing parties retained control of all 18 districts.

It was the best showing ever for pro-democracy candidates at a district council election.

Voter turnout was also at a record high, with 2.94 million Hongkongers turning up to cast their votes. That represents about 71.2 per cent of registered voters, far higher than the 47 per cent who turned out in 2015.

This also marked the first time when all seats were contested, with 1,104 candidates vying for the 452 seats.

TODAY explains what the results signify in the wake of five-and-a-half months of protests that have rocked the city, and how they will impact Hong Kong.

WHAT IS HONG KONG’S DISTRICT COUNCIL ELECTIONS?

First held in 1999, Hong Kong’s district council elections are typically localised affairs focused on community issues, such as pushing for more bus stops, or traffic lights in the neighbourhood.

Elected district councillors are the lowest level of political office holders, often serving more of an advisory role to the Government on municipal issues pertaining to the district they represent, and the allocation of funding.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THE ELECTIONS THIS TIME?

This year’s election, however, was seen as a referendum on the city’s worst political crisis, said observers.

Hong Kong has been wracked with protests since June over a now-suspended extradition bill. What started out as peaceful protests have gradually escalated into violent unrest with the use of petrol bombs by the protestors and some live rounds fired by the Hong Kong police.

The extradition bill was viewed by protestors as another example of Beijing’s interference in Hong Kong’s domestic politics, meddling that they believe has increased since the city’s handover to Chinese sovereignty from the British in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" model that gives Hong Kong some autonomy.

The protests have also evolved into greater calls for more democracy and freedom, amid other demands such as investigations into alleged police brutality.

Mr Ivan Choy, a senior lecturer at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, told Reuters that in the council elections, the pro-democracy camp campaigned on “police brutality” and “bad governance”, while the pro-establishment parties positioned themselves as taking a stand against violence.

Identity politics, more specifically their stance on whether they are on Beijing’s side or not, have become more important than community issues, Dr Edmund Cheng, a political science professor at City University of Hong Kong, told the South China Morning Post.

WHAT DOES THE VICTORY BY THE PRO-DEMOCRACY CAMP MEAN?

Observers agree that the results show that the majority of Hongkongers support the social movement that has been engulfing the city over the past five-and-a-half months.

Dr Ma Ngok, a political science professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, told Reuters: “The government and the pro-Beijing camp have always claimed they have public support. But now... this is a big slap in the face because the public has showed their real position in record numbers.”

The pro-Beijing parties, Hong Kong’s government and even the Chinese central government in Beijing have often said that the “silent majority” of Hongkongers are against the protests.

The high turnout rate and the landslide victory for the democracy camp are two indicators of utmost importance, said Mr Choy.

“It will let the international society be witness. Their support for Hong Kong democracy may be further assured, which embarrasses Beijing,” he added.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Even though elected district councillors mainly attend to community issues, they can have an impact on who will be Hong Kong’s next chief executive in the 2022 race. The incumbent is Mrs Carrie Lam, who has been facing repeated calls to step down over her alleged mishandling of the political crisis.

Hong Kong’s chief executive is elected by the election committee currently made up of 1,200 members from a restricted pool of candidates chosen by the central government in Beijing.

Among these 1,200 seats, democrats usually control about 325 seats.

The election results mean that the democrats’ camp will be able to obtain an additional 117 seats in the election committee, giving them greater say as to who would be Hong Kong’s future leader, the South China Morning Post reported.