Slightly over three years ago, Hong Kongers went to the polls to elect their legislators.
The conclusion from the results - radicals gained more support while moderates lost ground - was a grim one: The city would become increasingly ungovernable.
This worry has been more than borne out since.
Hong Kong has been mired in paralysis. The already unpopular administration of Chief Executive Leung Chun Ying became even more distrusted, while the Legislative Council (LegCo) thwarts and blocks its proposed policies.
In 2014, the city went through its greatest unrest in recent times - the 79-day Occupy movement to lobby for greater freedoms to elect their leader.
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A new year could mean new beginnings for nations looking for a fresh start. New leaders will be elected in the United States and the Philippines. But there is also a sense that more of the same is the way forward.
Last year, the LegCo, decrying what it termed "fake democracy", vetoed a government proposal for constitutional reform that essentially allowed only Beijing-approved candidates to run in future chief executive elections.
This September, Hong Kongers will once again choose their legislators. The elections will be watched for various things. In the absence of a direct election for the top leader, they will be the most important race that will lay bare Hong Kongers' political sentiments.
The city's denizens are clearly weary of politics. Trust in the government and politicians on both sides of the spectrum, whether the pan-democrat or the pro-establishment camp, is lower than ever.
The voter turnout in the LegCo race will reveal what they want to see done about this: Low numbers will suggest apathy and cynicism that nothing can or will change. High numbers traditionally favour the pan-democrats and will suggest that concern about issues such as political reform and civil liberties remains high.
The results themselves also matter. Pro-establishment legislators have been given a clear brief: win the two-thirds super-majority they need to pass legislation.
The controversial national security legislation, Article 23, which has been thwarted, is also looming on the horizon, with Beijing wanting to see it passed.
Li Xueying
