Democrats in Hong Kong Could Gain After Polls

HONG KONG — Hong Kong's pro-democracy politicians fared better than expected in legislative elections, a showing that could strengthen their hand in pushing for greater political freedoms in the Chinese territory, analysts said. The opposition camp captured 23 of 60 legislative seats in Sunday's voting, down from their previous 26, according to poll results released yesterday.

Many observers had predicted a far worse beating for the opposition parties as their signature issue — democratic reform — took a back seat to concerns over wages, inflation, and poverty this year. A resurgent nationalism, heightened by last month's Beijing Olympics, and a booming mainland economy, was expected to further hurt their chances.