Artist Chow Chun-fai says Hong Kong's Arts Development Council has lost credibility

Liverpool Biennial exhibiting artist Chow Chun-fai, who lost a bid for the culture sector seat in the Legislative Council election, said the Arts Development Council lost its credibility when it voted for a candidate who was not supported by the arts community.

The council, able to cast one vote, revealed that 13 of its 22 members decided to support its former chairman Ma Fung-kwok in the Legco race - despite 141 members of the arts community officially asking the council to vote for Chow.

In response to a query from the Factory Artist Concern Group, which is chaired by Chow, the council said that as of September 6, three days before the Legco election, it received 141 letters from the culture sector urging it to vote for Chow.

It also received three blank ballots in the exercise initiated by the culture sector. But no one favoured Ma or the other candidate, solicitor Jimmy Siu See-kong.

In the actual Legco election on September 9, however, the council decided to go for Ma.

"We think that council members should consult their voters when making decisions, but apparently that didn't seem to be required," Chow said.