Crusading legislators' ratings soar
Audrey Eu and James Tien rise in the popularity listings, boosted by their stance against the Article 23 legislation
The controversy over Article 23 may have shaken the government to its roots and divided the Legislative Council, but it has boosted the popularity of two legislators, reflecting a change in Hong Kong's political climate.
A university study released yesterday found that in the past three months, Audrey Eu Yuet-mee - who has never had a place on the top 10 list of the most popular legislators - has rocketed up the ranks to become number one.
The independent legislator, who has worked tirelessly against the national security bill, received 65.2 points out of 100.
Liberal party chairman James Tien Pei-chun, whose resignation from the Executive Council resulted in the postponement of the Article 23 reading on July 9 - also saw his popularity rating jump from seventh place to third, as his score rose from 51.9 points to 61.
Meanwhile, unionist Lau Chin-shek dropped out of the top 10 list after being in second place in May with 56.9 points.
'The latest popularity ranking reflects a change in Hong Kong's political climate after the July 1 demonstration. Legco members representing labour interests are now overshadowed by those who carry the demands of the July 1 demonstration,' said Robert Chung Ting-yiu, director of the Public Opinion Programme at the University of Hong Kong.
Ms Eu said she was more concerned about the public's lack of trust in Legco than the apparent rise in popularity of a few legislators.
'If public perception of the legislature is not good then it becomes difficult to attract good quality legislators. Then the voting rate decreases and it all becomes a downward spiral,' she said.
Mr Tien was pleased by the news and thanked the public for their support.
Mr Lau is not in Hong Kong and could not be reached for comment.
Political analysts Ivan Choy Chi-keung and Ma Ngok believe that the surge in the legislators' popularity was only temporary and predicted that Mr Tien's popularity would subside within three months. Mr Choy, a political scientist at City University, added that although professionals such as Ms Eu were usually popular with the public in times of crisis, she was unlikely to remain in the top 10 list over the next few months.
An associate professor of politics at Lingnan University, Li Pang-kwong, however, sees the change in political climate as a potential 'turning point' in the careers of Ms Eu and Mr Tien.
'Their performance pertaining to Article 23 was quite exceptional. If Ms Eu can diversify her campaign to other issues and Mr Tien can continue to exhibit the bravery to act against other government policies, their popularity will remain high,' he said. 'If they can ride the wave of popularity, they can take advantage of the situation and further their political careers.'