Hong Kong's main opposition party announces plan to dissolve

The Democratic Party in Hong Kong, once the largest opposition group in the city, has announced plans to potentially dissolve itself. During a late-night press conference, party chairman Lo Kin-hei informed reporters that the members would soon vote on whether to officially shut down the party, which has been active for 31 years. The Democratic Party has faced significant challenges in recent years, particularly following the crackdown by China on dissent after the protests in 2019. Both the Chinese government and the Hong Kong administration have justified these actions as necessary for national security. As part of this crackdown, the electoral system in Hong Kong was reformed, allowing only individuals deemed loyal to the Communist Party to serve as lawmakers or local council members. This change effectively barred the Democratic Party from participating in elections. At the press conference, Mr. Lo explained that the decision to consider dissolution was based on the 'current political situation. ' He remarked, 'Developing democracy in Hong Kong is always difficult, and it's especially difficult in the past few years. ' When asked if the decision was made under political pressure, he chose not to comment. The party has established a working group to manage the shutdown process. For the dissolution to be finalized, at least 75% of the members present at an upcoming general meeting must approve the decision, although a date for this meeting has yet to be announced. On the following day, Regina Ip, a government adviser, criticized the Democratic Party, claiming they have been pursuing an agenda that opposes China and have been 'constantly causing trouble inside and outside parliament. ' She expressed no surprise at the party's declining support, stating, 'The Democratic Party has already reached a dead end. ' The Democratic Party was known for its rare direct negotiations with the Liaison Office, which represents the Chinese Communist government in Hong Kong, back in 2010, where they discussed plans for more liberal elections. However, many younger members viewed these negotiations as a betrayal, leading to a split within the party and a loss of support. Despite this, the party regained strength and became the most successful opposition force in the city after winning the most seats in the local council elections in 2019, which occurred during the violent anti-government protests. Several prominent members of the Democratic Party, including Helena Wong, Lam Cheuk-ting, Wu Chi-wai, and Albert Ho, are currently imprisoned under the controversial national security law. Another member is living in exile in Australia and is wanted by the Hong Kong government for alleged national security violations. Recently, a court ordered the confiscation of his assets and money in Hong Kong, which are held by his family and a law firm. In December, Hong Kong stripped Martin Lee KC, a key founder of the Democratic Party, of his honorary Justice of the Peace title after he lost an appeal against a conviction for participating in an unauthorized assembly.