Hong Kong’s Protestants drawing lots for election committee places is ‘ridiculous’, activists say
Christian Council due to pick representatives for the body that chooses city’s chief executive, but critics say system is unfair
Protestant activists have criticised as “ridiculous” an arrangement whereby churches will draw lots to pick their representatives on a body that will choose the city’s new chief executive next March.
They are upset over a decision made in July by the Christian Council, an umbrella group of 21 congregations, organisations and denominations, to reject calls by some followers for it to vacate its 10 seats on the 1,200-strong Election Committee that votes on the city’s leader. The council instead ruled that its representatives would be picked by drawing lots.
The committee is made up of business elites, politicians and 10 representatives from the city’s six major religions. It will vote on whether to award a second term to Leung Chun-ying, who is widely expected to seek re-election.
The council’s leadership argued that by drawing lots, ordinary believers and leaders of smaller churches would have a bigger and fairer chance of being picked as representatives than they would in an election among all churchgoers. It is estimated there are about 500,000 Protestants in Hong Kong.
Activists were particularly irked by a two-round process devised by the council. Under its framework, any Protestant can take part in the first round as long as they have gathered 20 endorsements. Church members, congregations, Christian organisations and denominational governing bodies – registered as charities under the city’s tax laws – can each put forward one candidate of their own under the system.