Election Committee to pick Hong Kong’s next chief executive on 26 March
An elite group of 1,194 individuals will choose one of three candidates for a city of 7.3 million. Beijing-backed Carrie Lam and pan-democratic John Tsang are leading. Fearing any disorders, police has an evacuation plan for the authorities. The Justice and Peace Commission is opposed to the selection system, calling the electoral law an illusion of democracy. The Chinese government controls the outcome and protects the interests of privileged groups.
Hong Kong (AsiaNews) – The chief executive of China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) will be picked on 26 March.
Three candidates are vying for the post: former SAR Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah, former SAR Chief Secretary for Administration* Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, and retired judge Woo Kwok-hing. The 1,194-member Election Committee will make the decision for the city’s 7.3 million people.
So far, surveys indicate that Tsang is the preferred choice of Hong Kongers, but Lam has the favour of mainland China, and received most nominations from Election Committee members. Judge Woo appears to be running behind his rivals. Despite calls by pan-democrats, Beijing seems little inclined to change its choice.
After a debate on Sunday organised by the Election Committee, Tsang remains the public favourite. Most analysts believe that it still a two-way race between Tsang and Lam.
Lam bagged 580 nominations from Election Committee members to qualify as an official candidate, just short of the 601 needed to win on Sunday.
Tsang managed 165 nominations, with a small portion from the pro-establishment camp. However, pan-democrats pledged 290 votes. Woo won all his 180 nominations from pan-democrats on the committee.
For many years, most Hong Kongers have been calling for universal franchise and direct elections to the post of chief executive.
In September 2014, many young people staged months-long protests dubbed "Occupy Central" against Beijing’s refusal to concede universal suffrage.
The drawn-out demonstrations, which paralysed parts of central Hong Kong, caused tensions and clashes with police and anti-democratic groups.
Hong Kong police is afraid that that demonstrations and protests by radical activists in connection with the vote could cause public order problems.
Sources told the South China Morning Post that law enforcement has an evacuation plan for the three candidates and 1,194 electors. In the case of unrest, some marine police launches will be ready to provide escorts between designated destinations, which remain secret for security reasons.
As the election campaign enters its decisive week, the Justice and Peace Commission has called on the people of Hong Kong to learn about the election process for the next chief executive, who is chosen from a shortlist of three candidates by a small elite in the Election Committee.
The Commission has joined various campaigns organised by civic associations against this selection process, giving voice to Hong Kongers fighting for real, effective and universal suffrage.
To this effect, the Commission issued a statement on its website on 1 March, subsequently published in the diocesan Kung Kao Po newspaper on 5 March.
In it the Commission describes the existing electoral law as a comedy, meant to deceive people about the process.
It goes on to say that three candidates, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-Ngor, John Tsang Chun-wah and Woo Kwok-hing have no plans to help the city’s poor and marginalised groups.
It states that the Election and selection process area a tool of the Chinese government to maintain control over the outcome and protect the interests of politically and economically privileged groups in Hong Kong and the mainland.
* The SAR’s second highest government post.
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