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SCMP Reporter

The once sought after honour of representing colleagues as president of the students' union is being shunned to the extent that some institutions do not even hold annual elections.

  The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has just managed to elect a president of its union, after the post was vacant for a year.

  The successful - and only - candidate was third-year engineering student Patrick Wong Chun-sing.

  The reluctance of students to stand for office is reflected in the fact that the post of president at HKU was also vacant in 1988 and 1993.

  Mr Wong said: 'It may be because former presidents did not do a good job and damaged the union's reputation.

  'The bureaucratic nature of the students' union also scares some people away.

  'Student presidents usually defer a year of their studies to run the office. This is also part of the reason why so few students are willing to do it,' he said.

  The post has not been filled for the past two years at Chinese University of Hong Kong.

    Doubts have also been cast on holding elections this year, after nomination papers submitted by a pro-Beijing group were rejected for not complying with the university's regulations.

  Third-year student activist Lok Pui-kit has been at the helm for six months on a temporary basis, but he will graduate in April.

  He said there were many reasons why students were reluctant to run for office.

    The academic workload was heavy on three-year degree courses and office-bearers had to face criticism from other students.

  'Students don't appreciate what you've done for them but they always remember your mistakes,' Mr Lok said.

  'The union has also become bureaucratic, which students loathe,' he added.

  He said university authorities were worried about the lack of enthusiasm over the role, because the union president was a channel for students' opinions.

  Students were more willing to chair hobby groups and societies, as they carried points towards getting residency on campus.

  Two-thousand votes are needed to run the students' union.

  At HKU, just 2,400 out of 9,000 students bothered to vote.

  Mr Wong said he was not discouraged and would work to improve the image of the union.

  He said the organisation was essential and the best forum for students to convey their complaints or views on an issue to university authorities.



Unions' once-revered top position snubbed