The spectre of some Election Committee members casting blank votes is never far from Donald Tsang Yam-kuen's mind.
Just days before Sunday's poll, the chief executive once again brought up the subject.
'Blank votes are unfair to Hong Kong people,' Mr Tsang told a media briefing yesterday. He believed Election Committee members would think carefully about the matter. Saying it was most unlikely either candidate would score a perfect 100 per cent, Mr Tsang said he would be happy if he got 401 votes out of the possible 796.
Macau casino mogul Stanley Ho Hung-sun caused a buzz recently when warning that members who cast blank votes would be found out, prompting fears of a witch-hunt. However, officials gave assurances the voting would be secret.
It was not clear whether Mr Tsang's remarks yesterday reflected a fear that people might cast blank votes because they were dissatisfied with his performance. But it appears that some Election Committee members are still pondering this option, with Ho Hon-kuen of the education subsector, who did not nominate either Mr Tsang or Civic Party challenger Alan Leong Kah-kit, saying he might cast a blank vote. Mr Tsang probably felt relieved, though, that Edward Chow Kwong-fai of the accountancy subsector, who also did not nominate anyone, has decided to vote for him.
Amid all the warnings or 'friendly reminders' against the casting of blank votes by Election Committee members, there are some who insist a blank vote is one of the options electors are entitled to choose.