The turnout rate was an unprecedented 55.6% with 1,784,406 voters casting ballots, beating the previous record set in 1998 by 200,000 votes.

On the other hand, the pro-Beijing and pro-business candidates made greater gains, winning 12 directly elected seats (up from 7).

However, pro-democracy candidates have maintained the threshold to block changes, if necessary, to the Basic Law of Hong Kong, since a two-thirds vote is required for amendment.

The election came amidst the deteriorating governance and intense debates over constitutional reforms in Hong Kong.

The Tung Chee-hwa administration had been embattling with economic recession brought by the 1997 financial crisis and the more prominent SARS outbreak in 2003.

Over 500,000 people to protested on 1 July 2003, the sixth anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR, against the legislation, the largest demonstration since the handover.

Facing the pro-democracy pressure for full democratisation, in April 2004, the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) ruled out the 2007/08 universal suffrage.

Before the election, the pro-democratic camp was widely expected to gain the most votes and increase its representation from 22 seats in the LegCo.

Some members of the pro-democratic camp aimed at securing an absolute majority of the seats in the legislature so that they would have the power to veto all government proposals.

The democratic camp called for direct elections for the Chief Executive of Hong Kong in 2007 and for LegCo in 2008, as well as rapid political reform.

[6] Eight incumbents lost re-election Voting system: Party-list proportional representation with largest remainder method and Hare quota.