Political Animal
Civic Party cashes in as doctor signs up
The constitutional reform saga has been a breaker of friendships - just look at what it has done to the Democratic Party with its fierce internal split between hawks and doves.
But while the Democrats writhe, the Civic Party has announced that its stance against the government's proposal has won it a new friend: former medical-sector lawmaker Dr Kwok Ka-ki is joining. Kwok said the party appealed to him because it stuck to its principles in opposing the reform package.
'There are not many parties which still fight for democracy in a rational and steadfast way,' Kwok said. 'I believe it's time for me to stop fighting for democracy alone.' But the former lawmaker said it was too soon to think about staging a comeback to the legislature or a district council, saying he would work with the party on other issues to improve rights for the underprivileged. The party says this is only the start of its recruitment drive. Watch out for other big names.
Activists tread a rocky road on Tibet
Talking about friendship, local activists trying to promote closer links between Tibet and Hong Kong say their move to register a Tibet-Chinese Friendship Association - whose overseas branches are branded by Beijing as subversive groups - in Hong Kong has been stalled by the government months after the application was filed.
'We won't rule out cancelling the registration in Hong Kong and registering elsewhere,' the group's organiser Philip Li Koi-hop said. While the topic of Tibet has long been taboo on the mainland, Political Animal wonders why Li's group would find trouble registering, considering the relative freedom of operation the Falun Gong sect has enjoyed here despite being banned on the mainland. Perhaps Li can seek advice from the new political commissar of the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong garrison Wang Zengbo, who is an expert in Tibet affairs.
Why this desire to close the doors?
Why is it so difficult for government officials to put their names to something they are paid to do? A study by the Hong Kong Journalists Association found the government is now more inclined than ever to use closed-door briefings where officials may be quoted only as 'government sources'. The association found that between March and June, various departments have called at least 12 such briefings which, despite their anonymity, were arranged to enable coverage by all media outlets. Secretary for the Environment Edward Yau Tang-wah was singled out as one of the most frequent users of the practice, despite being a former director of the Information Services Department.
A little image-building fails to work
Contesting a seat in the Legislative Council can cost a lot of money. Image is also important, so is there anything wrong in candidates using some of the money to brush up their appearance? At least two candidates in the recent by-elections did not think so. According to election expenditure declarations, which candidates had to submit by yesterday, Hong Kong Island candidate David Lee Chun-hung spent HK$2,250 out of his HK$36,000 campaign expenses to buy a new pair of glasses. Li Kwai-fong, who ran for the New Territories West constituency, used HK$6,500 of her HK$240,000 budget for skincare, make-up and clothes for vote-canvassing sessions. It didn't help them much. Both lost by a huge margin to incumbents Tanya Chan of the Civic Party and Albert Chan Wai-yip of the League of Social Democrats, respectively.
