Hong Kong’s esteemed Ronny Tong Ka-wah’s has resigned as a legislative councillor in what is seen as a big move for himself as an individual and for the political party that he helped establish, Civic Party, which is now devoid of his substantive political contributions and all important vote in the legislature.
Speaking to the South China Morni ng Post Tong dismissed such fears, saying that as long as his allies put forward a single candidate instead of diluting the votes, they should be able to win the ballot, expected to take place next year.
He quit as legislator hours after resigning from Civic Party amid rifts in Hong Kong’s ‘pan-democratic camp’, the more radical arm of all those affirming direct democracy for Hong Kong and in particular in the selection of the Chief Executive by a one-man-one-vote method, at present curtailed under a system where the candidates themselves are pre-selected and pretty much validated as the only potentials by Beijing to serve as CE in Hong Kong.
The pan-democrats “should not exaggerate the problem,” Tong insisted, however his departure on October 1 will set the stage for a head-to-head by-election battle with the pro-establishment bloc. The Democratic Party has ruled out running, “to avoid competition”.
Councillors from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, the pro-establishment party, will field a candidate but it might be difficult for the Beijing loyalists to endorse just one candidate, given that the victor would have a higher chance of winning s full term in September next year as CE. Thus they could split the vote and reduce their chances.
Even the Liberal Party lawmaker James Tien Pei-chun holds that if there is more than one pan-democratic candidate running the Liberals should also discuss whether to send only one candidate.
Last week’s bungled vote on political reform, which had the Beijing loyalists point fingers at one another, might complicate by-election coordination. Depending on who is put forward, now there is no guarantee of full support by the whole organisation, whichever party. Individualism remains strong in Hong Kong, somewhat removed from the communal ethic of idealised China. The question remains, can the pan-democrats remain united!
