In undemocratic Hong Kong, the election watchdog is asleep on the job

Grand democratic visions are stipulated in the Basic Law. Article 45 says that the “ultimate aim is the selection of the chief executive by universal suffrage upon nomination by a broadly representative nominating committee in accordance with democratic procedures”. The reality is that the next leader will continue to be handpicked by a 1,200-member committee.

Article 68 further prescribes that the “ultimate aim is the election of all the members of the Legislative Council by universal suffrage”. As things now stand, the functional constituencies will not be replaced by universal suffrage for years to come.

Legco president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing is among those who have questioned the fairness of the existing provisions. He noted that incumbent policy secretaries are required to quit their offices before they can run for chief executive. A sitting chief executive, by contrast, is not obliged to do the same. In a re-election campaign, Leung Chun-ying could simply mobilise public resources, as head of the government, to boost his odds.

A case in point is Leung’s initiative to set up a HK$1 billion exchange scheme between Hong Kong students and those in the “One Belt, One Road” countries. The plan has been widely criticised by legislators as little more than an effort to appease President Xi Jinping (習近平), who, of course, plays a pivotal role in deciding who will lead Hong Kong.