The Democratic Party of Hong Kong, one of the city’s most important pro-democracy organizations, said on Thursday it has started making formal moves to dissolve itself, the latest nail in the coffin of the city’s once-alpha opposition.
The party was established in 1994; long the icon of the political freedoms Hong Kong had under its “One Country, Two Systems” structure. But a country-wide crackdown on national security has gradually weakened its impact, compelling members to think about its existence.
Party chairman Lo Kin-hei said members would soon vote to dissolve the party, 75% approval needed of final approval. “Extracting democracy from Hong Kong has not been easy, especially in the last few years,” Lo said. He noted that though financial means stayed constant, there was not much space for meaningful opposition within the larger political context. 
The move comes as Beijing steps up efforts to squeeze out sections of the pro-democracy movement, jailing top activists under security laws and rewriting the electoral system to guarantee only “patriots” are in charge. Many members of the Democratic Party, among them former legislators, have been jailed while others have gone into exile.
International backlash is then, wishes started while nations including the U.S. , Britain expressing outrage at Beijing’s crack down While this is so, authorities insist the laws have brought stability back.
With the Civic Party disbanding last year, 2023, the likely demise of the Democratic Party marks the almost complete disappearance of formally organized opposition from Hong Kong’s political terrain.
