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Chief executive election 2017
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Chan Kin-man (left) and Benny Tai (centre) are spearheading an academic group seeking election committee seats. On the right is another Occupy Central co-founder, Chu Yiu-ming. Photo: Sam Tsang

Occupy Central co-founders seek voice in Hong Kong’s election committee to choose next chief executive

Academics head list of 30 candidates for 30 seats on offer; pro-establishment figures also enter the fray in the traditionally pan-democrat higher education sector

Nearly four years ago, the Occupy Central campaign was founded to push for a popular ballot in Hong Kong’s leadership race in 2017. That campaign ended in failure, but now two of its co-founders, Benny Tai Yiu-ting and Chan Kin-man, are back with another mission – to win 30 seats and become the critical few in the 1,200-strong election committee that will pick the city’s next leader in March.

The committee – made up of business elites, professionals and politicians – consists of 38 sectors including the pan-democrat strongholds of legal and higher education. A chief executive contender needs 150 votes to qualify and 601 to win.

As about 230,000 voters pick their representatives on the committee on December 11, the pan-democratic camp, which is fielding about 350 candidates, is hoping to win at least 300 seats – up from 205 in 2011. The camp is hoping to stop Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, whom they criticise for being “high-handed”, from winning a second term.

In the higher education sector, about 7,500 teachers and administrators of tertiary institutions will elect their representatives. With 65 candidates running for 30 seats, it is one of the most hotly contested battlegrounds between the two political blocs.

The hopefuls include 17 pro-establishment candidates and 48 from the democratic bloc. Chan’s list of “Academics in Support of Democracy” is the biggest force in the sector with 30 candidates from nine institutions.

“I am pessimistic about democracy in Hong Kong under Leung’s governance,” Chan told the Post. “I hope that our bid will help create pressure as well as favourable conditions for change.”

Leung was criticised by academics for interfering in university affairs, as his appointees in the University of Hong Kong’s governing council played a key role in voting down the promotion of liberal scholar Johannes Chan Man-mun to a top managerial post.

In light of the controversy, Chan Kin-man said candidates on his list would only support a challenger who promised to defend universities’ integrity, academic freedom and institutional autonomy.

But Chan also said that given in-fighting among pro-democracy lists, he would be satisfied if pan-democrats ended up keeping the 24 seats they won in 2011.

He was referring to the 12-member team of scholars led by Dr Petula Ho Sik-ying, a social work academic at the University of Hong Kong who is advocating a blank vote campaign to discredit what she calls a “small-circle election”.

Six university students are also running as representatives of their tertiary institutions’ governing bodies, to call for discussion on the city’s political future.

Academic Richard Wong is involved in a group seeking to bring ‘the rational voices of independent scholars’ into the election committee. Photo: Sam Tsang

On the other side of the political divide, Lingnan University associate history professor Dr Lau Chi-pang and Open University science and technology dean Professor Ho Kin-chung are leading a slate of 12 academics “to protect professionalism in education” and fight for the sector’s “best interest”.

Lau told the Post that in contrast to the pan-democrat slates, his team would not rule out supporting Leung for another term.

“The chief executive did not do much on higher education in the last few years ... We want to support a chief executive candidate who can do things for our sector,” Lau said. “Our demands are practical. We want more resources for universities and research, while the pan-democratic slates focus on governance.”

Four scholars – Richard Wong Yue-chim, Francis Lui Ting-ming, Sung Yun-wing and Liu Pak-wai – are leading a slate called “Hong Kong Reconstruct”. In their manifesto, the four said they wanted “to bring the rational voices of independent scholars into the committee, to reinvigorate education, restore trust, revive the economy and restart political reform”.

Wong previously said he had “reservations” about the approach and direction of Leung’s governance in the last four years, but noted that the chief executive had “tried hard” to do his job.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Occupy pair look to turn up heat on CY with choice role
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