Hong Kong’s Democratic Party, once the city’s largest opposition group, has announced plans to dissolve as it struggles under Beijing’s crackdown on dissent. Party chairman Lo Kin-hei confirmed that members will soon vote on the final decision to shut down the 31-year-old organization.
The party has faced mounting challenges following Beijing’s sweeping political reforms, which tightened control over Hong Kong’s electoral system. The 2021 “patriots law” effectively barred opposition figures from holding office by restricting political participation to those deemed loyal to the Chinese Communist Party.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Mr. Lo cited the “current political situation” as the key reason for the decision. “Developing democracy in Hong Kong is always difficult, and it’s especially difficult in the past few years,” he told reporters. He declined to comment on whether the decision was made under political pressure.
A working group has been established to oversee the dissolution process, which requires approval from at least 75% of attending members at an upcoming general meeting. A date for the vote has not yet been set.
Hong Kong government adviser Regina Ip criticized the Democratic Party, accusing it of pursuing an anti-China agenda and “constantly causing trouble inside and outside parliament.” She stated that the party had “already reached a dead end” as it continued to lose supporters.
Despite internal divisions in the past, the Democratic Party regained momentum after winning the most seats in the 2019 local council elections. However, Beijing’s subsequent crackdown has left the opposition with little political space to operate.
