Reuters: One of Hong Kong’s biggest democratic parties said on Saturday it would disband after a vote by its party members, dealing another blow to the city’s already beleaguered democratic opposition under pressure from China.
In recent years, Hong Kong’s opposition has been hit by a China-imposed national security law and overhaul of the electoral system that has largely sidelined democrats from local politics.
Alan Leong, one of the Civic Party’s founding members and the current chairman, told reporters that 30 of 31 members had voted to wind up the party, with only one abstaining.
“The world is ever changing. History will tell. Yesterday, the Civic Party is bidding Hong Kong farewell. We hope Hong Kong people will live in the moment with a hopeful and not too heavy heart. Live in truth and believe in tomorrow,” Leong, a senior barrister, wrote in a statement.