Lo Kin-hei (C), chairman of Hong Kong's Democratic Party (DP), speaks during a press conference at the party's headquarters in Hong Kong on December 14, 2025. Hong Kong's oldest pro-democracy party has formally decided to disband, its leader announced on December 14, following its annual meeting. LEUNG MAN HEI / AFP
Hong Kong's oldest pro-democracy party has decided to disband, the group announced Sunday, December 14, after its members formally voted to dissolve the organization and enter liquidation. The Democratic Party was founded in 1994, near the end of British colonial rule, when Hong Kong's leading liberal groups merged.
"Over these 30 years, we have taken part in and borne witness to the development and transformation of Hong Kong society, watching its systems and environment undergo one profound change after another," the party said in a statement. "Yet as the times have shifted, we now, with deep regret, must bring this chapter to a close," it added.
At Sunday's meeting, 117 out of 121 members voted for the group's liquidation, with the remaining four votes being blank ballots, Lo Kin-hei, the party's chair, told a news conference. He said that it was a "collective decision" made by party members, adding that it is the best way forward for them.
