The five pro-democracy leaders resigned in January in a bid to push their demands for full democracy in Hong Kong. They wanted to win back the seats in a by-election, which they called a referendum for universal suffrage.

The victory for the five candidates, who are members of the minority Civic Party and the League of Social Democrats was almost certain, given the fact that the leading pro-China parties and the main Democratic Party boycotted the polls. The pro-democracy candidates were hoping to get a large number of voters to the polling booths. A high turnout would have boosted their chances of winning more legitimacy for their campaign.

Low turnout

But their hopes dashed soon, as Sunday’s polling attracted only 17 per cent of the city's 3.37 million voters. Pro-democracy parties had hoped for at least a 30 percent turnout.

Hong Kong's Chief Executive Donald Tsang, who, along with other government officials, refused to vote, has called the elections a waste of taxpayers' money and an abuse of the electoral process. He said the low turnout showed people were satisfied with the proposed reform schedule.

However, as far as Tanya Chan, one of the five legislators who won the by-elections, was concerned, the turnout was still decent in the view of the fact that the government boycotted the vote.

"It was not an easy decision for many people to vote because there were so many attacks and allegations against us from the government and pro-establishment camp," she told AFP news agency.

Hong Kong and reforms

Hong Kong, a former British colony, was transferred to China in 1997. Under the city’s current electoral system, only half of Hong Kong's 60-seat legislature is directly elected and the city’s chief executive is currently appointed by an 800-member committee, picked up by Beijing.

Pro-democracy campaigners are seeking direct elections for the post of chief executive and for the entire parliament.

Beijing has promised to start holding direct elections for the post of Hong Kong's chief executive by 2017 and for the full legislature by 2020.

But pro-democracy leaders demand that the reforms should be introduced faster and that Beijing should publish a binding timetable.

du/AFP/dpa/AP
Editor: Grahame Lucas