Notice that he’s willing to join his election opponent Alan Leong in a public debate provided that it’s “fair, just and open”, exactly what the election isn’t.

A rigged election, like that on March 25th when 800 carefully selected Hong Kong people will return Tsang for another term in obedience to Beijing, rings false and farcical. Pretence prevails on many levels -- that the outcome lingers in doubt, that Hong Kong exercises a version of democracy and that the seven million residents have a choice.

The outcome’s a foregone conclusion. Leong merely pressures Tsang a tad, forcing him to engage the public (slightly) and to address significant issues (temporarily).

By the standards of a real democratic race, Tsang’s a weak candidate full of shallow promises and dented by his malleability to Beijing’s orders. He’d never win a legitimate election, one when a full range of Hong Kong residents could run and all the citizens of voting age cast ballots. Typically, the 800 designated electors, mainly business people and the local elite keen to protect their interests on the Chinese mainland, discuss Tsang’s weaknesses only behind closed doors.

Many Hong Kong residents, including each of the 12 pictured here, could deliver a drubbing to Tsang in a genuine election. People on the streets would prefer a leader less like a shoeshine boy, someone willing to speak up for them, not for the mainland authorities. But Beijing refuses to allow meaningful democracy. Even in the best-case scenario, the central government plans to keep a nomination committee to “weed out” any candidates it dislikes, a recipe for more phony-baloney politics.

In a perfect world, Hong Kong’s chief executive would be a forthright and principled person, someone chosen by all the people, not by a privileged few doing Beijing’s bidding. Warped elections with the results decided in advance breed contempt -- they’re a rancid corruption.


Ronnie Tong


Albert Cheng


Margaret Ng


Albert Ho


Alan Leong

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