Hong Kong’s Legco candidate Ken Chow urged to come clean on ‘threats’
He should explain decision to quit election over safety concerns, party heavyweight says
A Liberal Party candidate who gave up his Legislative Council bid citing “high-level” threats should explain his case to the public because the rule of law and people’s right to stand for elections could be at stake, the party’s leaders urged yesterday.
Chow, a long-time Yuen Long district councillor, yesterday remained tight-lipped after tearfully announcing his decision at an election forum on Thursday night, saying only that he would be leaving town and would return to speak about the threats the day after the September 4 elections, according to party leaders.
His rival and pro-Beijing lawyer Junius Ho Kwan-yiu denied having any plans to intimidate Chow. But Ho admitted one of his supporters had proposed to him that he “pursue” Chow to hit his morale, an idea he claimed he had rejected.
The incident has highlighted the power struggle among rural forces within the city’s pro-establishment camp.
Speaking to the press after filing a report to the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the Liberal Party’s three honorary chairmen said they were “shocked” at Chow’s decision.
James Tien Pei-chun, who spoke to Chow on the phone after the forum, said Chow appeared “very scared” but refused to tell him who had made threats against him, only revealing they involved the personal safety of his campaign team.