Opinion | How the pro-democracy camp can play the long game and help Hong Kong elect the leader it wants

The landslide in the district council elections last month was beyond everyone’s expectations. The pro-democracy and anti-establishment camps won 17 of the 18 districts, and 90 per cent of the seats by one count. They will now have millions of dollars at their disposal.

Yet the pan-democrats shouldn’t let the triumph go to their heads. For one thing, the vote was more a protest against the government than a vote for the most capable district councillor.

Also, some may have chosen to side with the pro-establishment camp as a vote against the violence that has rocked the city. This should alarm the pan-democrats. The escalation of violence has weakened support for pro-democracy forces among Hong Kong residents and overseas Hongkongers, and the pan-democrats can’t afford this.

In the past six months, the role of the pan-democrats, especially the Democratic Party, in the leaderless protest movement has been minimal. However, their surprise win in the elections may renew their efforts to fight the system, and this time they must be prepared and united.

The burning issue is the district councils themselves, which have grown deformed under the pro-establishment camp’s near monopoly. Changes in rules have made the councils a cash cow for the camp.