Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam acknowledged on Tuesday that the record turnout in local elections won by pro-democracy candidates highlighted dissatisfaction with her administration, while appealing for an end to violent protests. Appearing tired and drawn, Lam spoke a day after results showed democratic candidates secured almost 90% of 452 district council seats in Sunday’s elections, a landslide victory in polls that were widely seen as a barometer of the opposition to the Beijing-backed politician following months of unrest. China, which has blamed foreign forces for fomenting unrest in the city, has not directly commented on the results, and major news outlets among China’s tightly controlled media largely avoided detailed reporting of how Hong Kongers voted.
