Hong Kong's oldest pro-democracy political party has decided to dissolve, pointing to changes in Hong Kong's political environment.
Foreign news agencies reported that the Democratic Party, Hong Kong's oldest pro-democracy political party, announced its dissolution on Sunday, 14 Dec 2025, following an official member vote to disband and begin liquidation procedures.
The Democratic Party was founded in 1994, near the end of British rule, after liberal groups in Hong Kong rose up in protest.
"Over the past thirty years, we have participated in and witnessed the development and transformation of Hong Kong society, observing the system and environment facing profound and repeated changes," the Democratic Party said in a statement. "However, as time has changed, we now must sadly close this chapter."
Party chairman Lo Kin-hei said at a press conference that during Sunday's meeting, 117 out of 121 members voted for the party to enter liquidation, while 4 abstained from voting.
Lo described it as a "collective decision" by party members and added it was the best course for them. "We sincerely thank every citizen who has journeyed with the Democratic Party over the past 30 years," he said.
Meanwhile, Emily Lau told reporters after leaving the meeting on Sunday that she was surprised by the decision to dissolve the party. "I don’t understand why the Democratic Party ended up this way ... I think Beijing must provide an explanation," she said.
Lo said the dissolution was due to Hong Kong's "political environment" but declined to provide details about the restrictions the party is facing.
Since the handover of Hong Kong from Britain to China in 1997, the Democratic Party became the most influential opposition voice in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council and led several peaceful protest marches.
Yang Sum, a former Democratic Party leader who was once imprisoned, said the decision to dissolve the party reflects Hong Kong’s regression from a free society to an "authoritarian society."
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Source:cna