Opinion | Vote to maintain Hong Kong's identity
Philip Bowring says, civic duty aside, Hongkongers should turn up at the ballot box today to make this clear: above all, they reject the plan to speed up integration with the mainland
It is election day. If you are eligible and have not already voted, please do so as soon as possible. For sure, the limited nature of Hong Kong's democracy limits the value of just one vote. Nonetheless, it is hard to complain either about the government or the limited franchise if you do not use what you have.
You may not know who to vote for. It is amazing how many long-time resident foreigners have little grasp of who is who in local politics. Understandably, they may also be baffled by the mechanics of the new so-called super seat election of district councillors in which all can vote if they do not qualify to vote in one of the functional constituencies. So here is my voting guide, followed by the reasons for it.
In the geographical constituencies, do not vote for any of the candidates of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong or the Federation of Trade Unions. Both are the mainstream Communist Party United Front operations and will ultimately always put the party's interest, and that of Beijing, before their proclaimed commitment to democracy, Hong Kong and the welfare of the middle- and lower-income groups. On all but minor issues, they can be relied on to support whatever the executive-led government wants.
Do not vote, either, for the Liberal Party, which will be grossly overrepresented in the Legislative Council, thanks to the small-circle business groups of the functional constituencies.
So which of the mainstream, liberal democratic parties - the Democratic Party or Civic Party - should one vote for? Or should one go for the apparently radical People Power, or one of the parties built around a single individual? On the choice between Democratic and Civic parties, much should depend on the quality of the candidate or on tactical voting in the hope of maximising non-communist representation.
People Power may attract democrats of radical inclination - though many may find its tactics unappealing and some question its backing and motives.
That leaves what are effectively one-person parties of the likes of Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee's New People's Party's and Cyd Ho Sau-lan's Labour Party. As individuals, such people have merit, with reputations for being active and independent-minded. However, their existence has added to the problem of fragmentation of the non-communist camp.