Re: Hong Kong (SAR) Legislative Elections

["ÁÎ×Ó¹â Henry C.K.Liu ¹ù¤l¥ú" <hliu@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I was born in Hong Kong.  My understanding of Hong Kong politics defers to no
one.
The CUHK (Chinese University of Hong Kong) is a collection of US Christian
missionary-sponsored educational instutions (Mehtodist, ect.), under a
university umbrella.  The ideological charter of these missionary institution
has a long history of anti-Marxist, anti-nationalist and anti-China.
Enough said.
There is much that is wrong with China's policy on Hong Kong, but none of it
falls into the agenda of Leung Kwok-hung.

The key problem with the so-called "One Country, Two systems" policy is the
ideological concession to bourgeois democarcy and market capitalism.  It gives
HK too much bourgeois freedom at the expense of the dictatorship of the
proletariat.

Henry C.K. Liu

Michael Hoover wrote:

> Leung Kwok-hung mentioned in below article is April 5th Action candidate,
> interested listers can read more about him at:
> http://www.jlm.cuhk.edu.hk/varsity/9901/leung.htm
> Michael Hoover
>
> > With critics aplenty, Hong Kong chooses new legislature
> >
> > Sunday
> > September 10, 2000
> > Web posted at: 4:02 p.m. HKT (0802 GMT)
> >
> > HONG KONG (AP) -- Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa wasn't even on the ballot
> > Sunday. But the unpopular Hong Kong leader came under harsh attack as
> > citizens and special interests voted for a legislature where critics say
> > pro-Beijing forces and big businesses will hold too much power.
> >
> > "It's certainly undemocratic and unfair," said Martin Lee, the head of the
> > Democratic Party and a prominent opponent of Tung and the Hong Kong
> > political system that gives some voters much more influence than others.
> >
> > "Hong Kong people need a stronger voice," Lee said.
> >
> > Analysts say a recent scandal involving charges that an academic was
> > pressured to stop polling Tung's plunging popularity has only served to
> > aggravate dissatisfaction among ordinary voters -- who only have a say on
> > 24 of the 60 legislative seats.
> >
> > Lee and other opposition figures will use whatever minority of seats they
> > gain in the Legislative Council -- which has little power anyway -- to
> > clamor for more democracy and to intensify their attacks on Tung.
> >
> > Tung declined to take questions when he went out under clear skies to vote
> > in a Hong Kong park, where a small group of protesters led by longshot
> > candidate Leung Kwok-hung were chanting "Down with Tung."
> >
> > One Leung supporter, Lui Yuk-lin, sat on the steps of the polling place
> > and began screaming anti-Tung slogans, setting off a minor scuffle as
> > police moved her back.
> >
> > "I want to make it known to Hong Kong, China and the rest of the world
> > this is not a democratic election, and we're appealing for Tung to step
> > down," Leung said. Leung and many voters grumbled about what they call
> > collusion between Hong Kong's government and business interests.
> >
> > Tung merely encouraged Hong Kong's 3.05 million eligible voters to do
> > their civic duty in the second legislative election since the territory
> > reverted from British to Chinese sovereignty on July 1, 1997.
> >
> > Half of the legislative seats are chosen by special interest groups such
> > as businesses, lawyers and doctors -- giving those voters much more clout
> > than ordinary citizens. Six seats are chosen by a committee.
> >
> > Critics say the cumbersome system is designed to ensure the legislature
> > will be dominated by pro-Beijing forces and business interests.
> >
> > "I hope our society won't be monopolized by these big businesses," said
> > voter Lo King-bong, a 26-year-old courier.
> >
> > Hong Kong's economy is showing double-digit growth, but many citizens feel
> > like they are being left behind.
> >
> > Outside polling places, numerous voters were quick to point fingers at
> > Tung and his government.
> >
> > "They're useless," said Chan Wai-hung, a 34-year-old electrician. "They
> > have failed to look after people's welfare and the economy."
> >
> > "They are chaotic. They have no long-term goals," groused Li Lai-chen, a
> > 49-year-old housewife.
> >
> > The polling places were to stay open until 10:30 p.m. local time. Final
> > results were expected sometime Monday morning.
> >
> > Tung was not on any ballots Sunday. The chief executive post will be
> > filled in 2002 by an 800-strong committee and Tung has not said whether he
> > will seek another term. But Tung's unpopularity has hung over the election
> > even as concerns about mainland China's control over Hong Kong have faded
> > in the minds of many citizens.
> >
> > Among Hong Kong people who planned to vote, 62 percent are dissatisfied
> > with Tung's performance -- a new low point for the former shipping tycoon,
> > according to a survey released this week by the Hong Kong Transition
> > Project 2000. The poll's margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage
> > points.
> >
> > In the days before the election, Tung's administration suffered a major
> > embarrassment when an investigative panel at the University of Hong Kong
> > looked into charges that a political pollster was pressured to stop taking
> > surveys of Tung's low popularity.
> >
> > The investigators found that two academics had warned pollster Robert
> > Chung after a top Tung aide raised questions about the surveys. In a
> > surprisingly harsh assessment, the panel found the Tung aide, Andrew Lo,
> > to have been a "poor and untruthful witness."
> >
> > Tung has defended Lo and opposition politicians are demanding the next
> > legislature launch a more thorough inquiry into whether the pressure on
> > Chung originated from within Tung's administration.
> >
> > Among the campaign's mudslinging, another blow came when the major
> > pro-Beijing political party seen as being aligned with Tung's government
> > -- the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong -- was
> > confronted by a newspaper report that its vice chairman had leaked
> > confidential government documents to a client of his public relations
> > firm.
> >
> > Gary Cheng quit his party post but he remained on Sunday's ballot atop a
> > slate of DAB candidates