Hong Kong's Democratic Party has officially decided to disband after more than 30 years since its founding.
According to Reuters and others on the 15th, a motion to disband the party was passed at an extraordinary general meeting held the previous afternoon. Democratic Party Chair Lo Kin-hei said that of the 121 members who voted, 117 cast ballots in favor of disbanding and 4 abstained. There were no votes against.
As a result, the Democratic Party, Hong Kong's largest opposition party, will disappear into its more than 30-year history. After the leadership decided in February to pursue disbandment, the party began dismantling procedures, drew up a disbandment resolution in April, and put it to a vote at the general meeting that day.
The Democratic Party was founded in 1994. In the 1998 Legislative Council election, the year after Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997, it won 13 of 60 seats and established itself as a leading pro-democracy force in Hong Kong. The party was regarded as a moderate liberal party.
After the meeting, Lo said at a press conference, "With the changing times, we had no choice but to close a chapter," and added, "We have tried everything within our power, but the overall political environment is not conducive to continuing to move forward."
Vice Chair Yeung Sum, a founding member, said, "The disbandment (of the Democratic Party) means Hong Kong has regressed from an open and free society to an authoritarian one," but added, "This is a low point, but it does not mean all hope is lost."
The Democratic Party did not disclose specific reasons for disbandment, but had suggested there was pressure from Chinese authorities. The party leadership said in earlier interviews with foreign media that it had been warned by Chinese officials and others that it would "have to face the consequences" if it did not disband.
With news of the disbandment, foreign media said the pro-democracy movement that had continued in Hong Kong for decades has effectively collapsed. Reuters reported that the party's disbandment was "an achievement of China's pressure on Hong Kong's remaining liberal voices despite years of security crackdowns."
In Hong Kong, the opposition has been rapidly weakened amid the 2019 mass anti-government protests, the 2020 implementation of the National Security Act, and a 2021 electoral overhaul that set a condition allowing only "patriots" to run. In March last year, the Civic Party officially dissolved, and in June this year, the League of Social Democrats (LSD) also disbanded.