Opinion | Hong Kong voted for democracy. Now protesters and victorious political parties must showcase its strengths

From the High Court ruling on the mask ban to the district council election results, recent weeks have highlighted the power of democratic institutions

New councillors must be ambassadors of democracy in action while pro-democracy parties should draft policies that show they can be more than an opposition force

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Published: 9:30am, 4 Dec 2019Updated: 9:30am, 4 Dec 2019

In the past few weeks, Hong Kong has witnessed the triumph of democratic institutions. The High Court declared the anti-mask legislation unconstitutional. The district council elections witnessed the overwhelming victory of pro-democracy candidates. In the United States, both the legislative and executive branches of government endorsed a law designed to support Hong Kong’s freedoms. Democratic institutions work, and this is an important lesson in the current climate.

Some may argue that the only reason democratic institutions worked was because of the threats posed by violent street protests. Yet there is little evidence to support this assertion. Hong Kong’s judiciary is independent of both the government and civil society. It is concerned with the law and its meaning.

It is difficult to know the minds of millions of voters in the district council elections. Yet, it seems clear that many older Hongkongers tolerate the violence even though they may disagree with it. There is extraordinary support for young Hongkongers who are the inheritors of a post-2047 Hong Kong. This is a more likely reason for such strong electoral support.

As for the US, it seems clear that all US politicians saw was a constant parade of videos showing police throwing tear gas and beating protesters. Violence can claim few supporters, apart from a small group of protesters themselves.

While victories can be claimed, they are not the same for all protesters. Peaceful protesters with pro-democracy aspirations will have been glad to see these institutional developments. They attest to the way democracy works for people, even in times of stress.