Hong Kong to choose new leader amid anger at perceived China meddling
HONG KONG: A small electoral college chooses a new Hong Kong leader on Sunday amid accusations of meddling by Beijing, denying the Chineseruled financial hub a more populist leader perhaps better suited to defuse political tension.
The vast majority of the city's 7.3 million people have no say in their next leader, with the winner to be chosen by a 1,200person ‘election committee' stacked with pro-Beijing and pro-establishment loyalists. Three candidates are running for the top post, two former officials, Carrie Lam and John Tsang, and a retired judge, Woo Kwok-hing. Lam is considered the favourite.
“I hope we all remember on 24 March 2017, we hong Kong people have all come together and given our most sincere blessings for a more united, a better Hong Kong,” Tsang told a rally of thousands of cheering supporters on Friday night.
Mass protests are planned over the weekend denouncing Beijing's ‘interference' in the election amid widespread reports of lobbying of the 1,200 voters to back Lam, rather than the more populist and conciliatory former finance chief, Tsang.
The political upheavals with Beijing over the city's autonomy and democratic reforms - that many hoped would have allowed a direct election this time round have roiled a new generation and weighed on the city's economy, ranked 33rd globally by the World Bank in 2015.
Many observers, leading businessmen and politicians have warned Hong Kong can't afford another period of upheaval if the city is to regain its former capitalist mojo.
While Beijing hasn't explicitly backed any candidate, senior officials have stressed certain conditions must be met including a new leader having the ‘trust' of China's Communist leaders.
“Just because a candidate is leading popularity polls doesn't necessarily mean you should vote for (that person),” said Leung Chun-ying on Friday. Nearly 2,000 police will be stationed around the harbourfront voting centre in case of any unrest. — Reuters