Time to regroup for the next election battle

Hong Kong has held three elections this year - in March, November and December. In the process, we have seen an electorate that is politically mature, sophisticated and longing for the right to choose its own government.

On March 25, 800 people re-elected Donald Tsang Yam-kuen as chief executive. This farce was greeted with nonchalance and resignation. The district council elections on November 18 dealt a devastating blow to the pro-democracy camp.

On December 2, the Legislative Council by-election was held in the Hong Kong Island constituency to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Ma Lik, the former chairman of the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.

The seat was won by former chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang, who advocates electing the chief executive and all members of Legco by universal suffrage in 2012. Mrs Chan secured 175,874 votes, beating former secretary for security Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee by 38,324 votes. Mrs Chan was supported by the pan-democrats while Mrs Ip was backed by the DAB and other pro- establishment forces.

Mrs Chan's victory was a morale booster for the pan-democrats, who fielded 293 candidates in the district council elections but won only 106 seats. The victorious DAB fielded 177 candidates and won 115 seats.

Weeks before the by-election, there was concern that Mrs Chan might lose, mainly due to the DAB's ability to mobilise voters. However, there were also reports that the DAB was wary of a victory for Mrs Ip, who would become their opponent in next year's Legco election.

In the coming months, the pan-democrats will conduct reviews to ascertain what went wrong in the district council polls and to map out a strategy for the future.

There were many allegations of improper and unlawful activities. There were also complaints about the use of violence against certain candidates and their supporters. The administration must investigate these cases thoroughly.

The Hong Kong people have no right to elect their government, but the previous Legco and district council elections have been regarded, generally, as clean and fair. The complaints about the latest district council elections have cast a shadow over our electoral system. Some people fear elections are becoming just as nasty and dirty as those held in Taiwan.

Controversies aside, there is no denying that the DAB election machine is well funded, slick and professional and that the party has fielded young, professional candidates.

This time, many democrats lost their seats. Unlike their opponents, most pro- democracy parties do not have the resources to support their candidates for the next four years so they can take part in the district council elections in 2011.

It is a well-known fact that pro-democracy parties have difficulty raising money because businesspeople are frightened to support them, lest there be reprisals by Beijing.

But, so far, the pan-democrats have managed to survive. This is due to the support of ordinary people. The electoral losses suffered in November showed a decline in support. Some commentators said this marked a change in the political mood because voters now support candidates who can get on with Beijing.

Few people expect politics under communist rule to be easy or fair. When Frontier members feel downcast, I urge them to take courage: 'If you think the situation is difficult, just think of Pakistan and Burma,' I say. 'We are nowhere near the predicament faced by those long-suffering people.'

Amid such disappointment, Mrs Chan's victory is encouraging. In the coming months, the pan-democrats must whip their movement into shape so that it will be geared up to fight the Legco election next September.

Emily Lau Wai-hing is a legislative councillor for The Frontier