A Major Pro-Democracy Party in Hong Kong to Dissolve

One of the largest pro-democracy parties in Hong Kong confirmed today, Saturday, that it will be dissolved after voting on the matter, in another blow to the besieged opposition in the city under pressure from China. An founding member of the Civil Party, Alan Leung, stated that "30 out of a total of 31 members of the party council voted in favor of the dissolution, with one member abstaining." However, the imposition of a comprehensive national security law by China in Hong Kong in 2020 led to the arrest of several party members. Following the enforcement of the national security law, China made amendments to Hong Kong's electoral system in 2021, significantly reducing representation for pro-democracy supporters by introducing a mechanism to assess the loyalty of politicians to Beijing.