Days after his death from cancer, Kevin Sinclair is on course to be named person of the year in an annual RTHK radio poll.
The journalist, author and South China Morning Post columnist was yesterday leading a field of seven, including Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, in listener voting.
Sinclair, who signed a copy of his autobiography for Mr Tsang at the book launch five days before his death on December 23, had 20.6 per cent of the vote compared to just 5.9 per cent for Mr Tsang.
Former chief secretary and newly appointed legislator Anson Chan Fang On-sang, whose election campaign Sinclair lambasted in one of his final Post columns, was second with 11.8 per cent.
Child prodigy March Boediharjo was tied for third with Mr Tsang, while former security chief Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee and ex-chief executive contender Alan Leong Kah-kit were a joint fifth with just under 3 per cent.
Civic forum head Christine Loh Kung-wai had no votes at all in the poll, which closes on Tuesday.
The RTHK Person of the Year is an award that often goes to people best known for thumbing their noses at authority. Previous winners include Catholic church leader Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun after a year in which he fiercely criticised former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa.