No names for backers in case they bet on wrong horse
THE Preparatory Committee yesterday overturned its decision to make public the names of Selection Committee members who nominated chief executive candidates.
According to the rule fixed by the plenary session, the names of the nominees will only be cross-checked by 'people involved'.
Chen Ziying , the committee's deputy secretary-general, said only candidates who succeeded in winning nominations from at least 50 Selection Committee members would be publicised. 'The names of nominees can be checked by 'people involved' if necessary, but not by the press,' he said.
The committee's chief executive sub-group put forward a proposal to the plenary meeting that those names should be made public in order to increase transparency. But concerns were raised by some committee members, particularly from the business sector, afraid of 'betting on the wrong horse' if their nominations were made known.
Leung Chun-ying, committee vice-chairman, said the chief executive election would no longer be held by secret ballot if names of nominees were made open.
But committee colleague Allen Lee Peng-fei said the names should be made public because nominees had to be responsible for their choices.
