When Hong Kong voters went to the polls to select a new Legislative Council (LegCo) on Sept. 9, prodemocracy parties appeared to have the momentum. When the votes were tallied, however, the pro-Beijing parties maintained their dominance in the legislature.

Some astute political maneuvers before the ballot, along with an electoral system that favors pro-Chinese interests, ensured that the status quo prevailed and Hong Kong's democrats remained frustrated.

LegCo elections are held every four years. This year, for the first time, a majority of seats (40 out of 70; 35 are from geographic constituencies, the remaining five are "superseats" elected by votes from the entire city) were directly elected. The rest are from "functional constituencies," which are selected by industry and professional groups that tend to lean toward Beijing.