Thank God I don't live on Hong Kong Island. If so, I might next December be left in a chilling position; I could face a choice of voting for either Artful Anson or Regina the Rottweiler.
To me, this is like making a pick between Ivan the Terrible and Attila the Hun. If the race for the seat left vacant by the late Ma Lik is restricted to these two candidates, it doesn't seem to give voters a fair range of choice. These two truly formidable women have much in common; as former long-serving and senior ranking officials in the British colonial government, both have exhibited a broad streak of autocracy.
Both are members of the ultraprivileged elite. Over recent months, both have semi-secretly built up powerful think-tanks and support teams; to be fair, Mrs Ip's bid for power has been far more open, honest and transparent than her rival.
Before July 1, 1997, there was totally no hint from either of these powerhouse women that they were democrats-in-hiding. Nobody suspected that they lusted secretly for one-man, one-vote universal suffrage. This secret was well hidden behind their sleekly-cut business suits and government briefcases full of confidential documents.
But when they ceased working for the government of the SAR, each in turbulent circumstances, it dramatically emerged, they had long been admirers of full-blown democracy. Hail to the people! Up the workers! Vote for me! You expected them to break into La Marseillaise. If it wasn't so pathetic and sickening, it would be laughable.
Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee and Anson Chan Fang On-sang have leanings towards democracy they could share comfortably with Cixi, the Dowager Empress. Tremble, obey and vote for me.