Only one winner in race to shape Hong Kong

By Gerard Baker in Hong Kong

On Sunday, in a modern exhibition centre abutting Hong Kong's international airport, the oligarchy that now runs the former British colony will gather for a very Chinese piece of political theatre.

The members of the Hong Kong election committee, ferried from their homes across the territory to the Asia World Expo, will cast their votes in an election for the chief executive who will run the territory for the next five years. It will not, despite elaborately worded rules that provide for second ballots and recounts if necessary, be much of a cliffhanger.

The committee consists of only 800 voters — out of a Hong Kong population of seven million — most of them selected by business and professional groups. Though there are two candidates there is not the slightest doubt as to which of them will win. Donald Tsang (made Sir Donald when Hong Kong was still a colony but he no longer uses the title and is reliably Beijing's man) is certain to be reelected to the post he has held since 2005.

His opponent, Alan Leong, the Civic Party candidate, an outspoken critic of Beijing and what he calls its stooges in Hong Kong, barely mustered the 100 nominations needed to put his name on the ballot.

Hong Kong gets a real election campaign, almost by accident

The Times

Thu Mar 22

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