Electoral Commission (EAC) Chairman Justice David Lok (2nd from right) opens the first ballot box in the counting area after the general elections to the Legislative Council in Hong Kong on December 7, 2025.Image: keystone
Dec 7, 2025, 7:36 p.mDec 7, 2025, 7:36 p.m
A good week and a half after a deadly fire disaster, Hong Kong voted on its new parliament with a very low voter turnout. According to official data, around 1.317 million eligible voters cast their votes, which corresponds to a turnout of 31.9 percent. The final result was not yet clear shortly after midnight (local time).
Hong Kong’s parliament, the Legislative Council, is not completely freely elected. Pro-democratic candidates did not run this time. To be eligible to vote, candidates must demonstrate loyalty to China.
Hong Kong people vote directly on 20 of the 90 parliamentarians. 40 are elected by a committee of politicians loyal to Beijing as well as representatives from business and society – the remaining 30 are chosen by industry representatives. Hong Kong has been part of China again since July 1, 1997, but is governed according to the principle of “one country, two systems”.
Record low of 2021 just overcome
Because of the fire in seven high-rise residential buildings with 159 deaths on November 26th, there were calls for the election to be postponed. Prime Minister John Lee stuck to the deadline. Observers expected that only a few of the 4.13 million registered voters in the financial metropolis with around 7.5 million inhabitants would go to the polls. Most recently, participation in 2021 was 30.2 percent, the lowest since Great Britain returned the former crown colony to China.
Beijing’s arm extends to Hong Kong
Beijing’s control was once again evident in this election: the day before, the authorities summoned foreign journalists to warn against the spread of “false information” about the fire and the election. Ten men and one woman were also arrested on suspicion of calling for a boycott of the election online.
Before the election, the fire disaster in the Tai Po district dominated the public debate. The police have so far arrested 15 people on suspicion of negligent homicide and 6 others on possible fraud. The anti-corruption authority is also investigating other suspects. The cause of the fire has not yet been conclusively clarified. (sda/dpa)