Hong Kong chief executive candidates Carrie Lam and John Tsang clash over spectrum of political support
Ex-finance secretary says his nominations come from all across the board, while just one bloc backs his rival
The two arch-rivals took pot shots at each other without meeting face to face at two separate sharing sessions organised by the Beijing-friendly All-China Women’s Federation Hong Kong Delegates Association.
Tsang, the former financial secretary and only candidate in the three-horse race to bag nominations from across the political spectrum, launched a veiled attack at Lam, whose 580 entry tickets were solely from the Beijing-friendly bloc.
“I believe anyone who becomes the next chief executive requires support from the whole society,” he said, after meeting some 300 attendees from 20 women’s groups. “Anyone who wins the race simply by relying on the support from one end of political spectrum would face huge difficulties in governance.”
Tsang managed only 165 nominations, with a small portion from the pro-establishment camp. The third candidate, retired judge Woo Kwok-hing, won all his 180 nominations from the opposition bloc in the 1,194-member Election Committee that will pick Hong Kong’s next leader on March 26.
