Having braved the nearly unbearable sorrow caused by the devastating Tai Po fire, Hong Kong society once again demonstrated its renowned Lion Rock spirit, whose core ingredient is resilience, by successfully completing Sunday’s Legislative Council election.

The more favorable outcome this time, in terms of voter turnout rate, when compared to that of the previous LegCo election held in 2021, must have caused the naysayers and political agitators great disappointment. They had kept their fingers crossed that the elections would produce poorer turnout rates so that they could continue with their Hong Kong-bashing rhetoric.

But to their ire and annoyance, turnout in the geographical constituencies reached 31.9 percent, higher than the 30.2 percent in the 2021 election; and the turnout in the functional constituencies and the Election Committee constituency was 40.1 percent and 99.45 percent, respectively, both higher than the 32.2 percent and 98.48 percent, respectively, in the 2021 elections.

Reuters’ latest report of the LegCo election outcomes, titled “Hong Kong election defies expectations of turnout drop amid anger over deadly fire”, reflects one aspect of how the naysayers and agitators had gloated over Hong Kong’s recent misfortune. The political agitators continue to harbor huge animosity toward the national security laws implemented in Hong Kong that keep them at bay, and thus miss no chance to vilify them. They still cannot reconcile themselves to the fact that the national security laws are here to stay, exactly because of their fierce opposition. Sunday’s more favorable election outcome deprived them of another precious chance to denigrate the national security laws.

The successful completion of the LegCo election also validates the decision that it needed to proceed as scheduled. The new legislature will take office on Jan 1, avoiding the emergence of a legislative vacuum that could spawn uncertainty, and worse, social instability.

The return of a new legislature with many young and energetic lawmakers equipped with diverse expertise will facilitate work in the aftermath of the Tai Po fire and systematic improvement of all urban safety standards and practices, and more importantly, socioeconomic development in Hong Kong.

The successful return of a mighty legislature heralds a new chapter of socioeconomic development, marking another milestone in democratic development in Hong Kong.

The author is a current affairs commentator.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.