Pan-democratic figures have hinted at Hong Kong’s need to implement democracy as Trump won the US elections held on Tuesday.
Cyd Ho, former lawmaker and member of the Labour Party, said that people “angrily voted for Brexit, angrily voted for Donald Trump, but no matter what, it is the decision of the people and they can choose change later.” Because Hong Kong has no choice, there is only more anger in the city, she said. But Hong Kong cannot give up and it must walk on the right path, Ho added.
Charles Mok, who represents the Information Technology functional constituency, quoted current US president Barack Obama, saying it was the bittersweet taste of democracy. “The sun will rise in the morning,” he said.
On the other hand, Tommy Cheung, who was a student leader in the pro-democracy Occupy protests of 2014, said: “at least a democratic system can change people – Hong Kong is nothing. The Communist Party should be much more scary than Donald Trump – the things that Donald Trump does, the Communist Party probably does a lot more of,” he said.
District Councillor and Democratic Party vice chairperson Lo Kin-hei also said: “Americans, thanks for giving the world President Obama eight years ago. [A]nd thanks for telling us today that it was just a big misunderstanding after all…”
Meanwhile, pro-establishment lawmaker Ann Chiang of the DAB said: “the American elections tell us that the people are already tired of the lie of democracy – instead, they want a leader who is hardline enough.”
