HK polls set to be political spectacle

Leadership election offers a taste of things to come

THIS week’s leadership election has riveted Hong Kong with all the political rough-and-tumble that is typical of a thriving democracy. There’s only one thing missing – the voters.

Ordinary Hong Kongers will have no say in who becomes their next chief executive on Sunday. Instead the “election” will be decided by a carefully selected committee of 1,200 pro-beijing business and professional elites.

That detail aside, the main candidates have turned on a political spectacle that analysts say the former British colony has never seen, one that could offer a taste of things to come when direct elections arrive, possibly as early as 2017.

“This is the first real contest between two pro-establishment candidates,” Chinese University of Hong Kong history professor Willy Lam said.

“It’s very entertaining but at the same time people are quite frustrated because both candidates have shortcomings, scandals and potential problems.”

Henry Tang, 59, the city’s former Number Two, was reportedly Beijing’s man and a shoo-in for the job until his campaign veered dramatically off course almost from day one.

It’s very entertaining but at the same time people are quite frustrated because both candidates have shortcomings, scandals and potential problems.

— WILLY LAM

Tang’s main rival, Leung Chunying, 57, is a former government adviser who has consistently led opinion polls but trails where it matters – in the regard of Beijing’s partners among the city’s superrich tycoons.

Beijing has appeared taken aback by the intensity of the contest. And it has not come to the rescue of Tang with a public statement of endorsement, which could have inflamed anti-mainland sentiment.

But Premier Wen Jiabao set a cat among the pigeons last week when he said he was confident outgoing chief executive Donald Tsang would be replaced by a leader who had the support of the “vast majority” of the people.