Rich and powerful cast their votes

Tycoons turned out in force to cast their votes in yesterday's Election Committee ballot.

Li Ka-shing, who controls Cheung Kong (Holdings) and Hutchison Whampoa, arrived at a polling station in Aberdeen a few minutes before it opened at 7.30am. Accompanied by bodyguards and dressed casually, he was the first to cast his vote, beating former legislator Ronald Arculli by a few seconds.

Macau casino magnate Stanley Ho Hung-sun, chairman of the Real Estate Developers' Association, voted at the Hong Kong Sea School polling station in Stanley around noon, while Nina Wang of property developer Chinachem voted at the Cotton Tree Drive polling station in Central.

They were helping choose some of the 800 members of the Election Committee, which will select six legislators in September. The committee is widely expected to pick the next chief executive in 2002, although the Government has declined to say as much explicitly. This has been seen as the reason tycoons appear keen to win seats on the committee.

Mr Li is seeking a seat in the real estate and construction subsector, one of 35 subsectors. His elder son, Cheung Kong deputy chairman Victor Li Tzar-kuoi, has already been elected uncontested in the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference subsector. Mr Li's younger son, Richard Li Tzar-kai, head of Internet company Pacific Century CyberWorks, is running in the higher education subsector.

The 33-year-old Mr Richard Li arrived alone in his silver Audi at the same polling station as his father before noon. All three members of the Li family gave their residential address as Deep Water Bay and therefore vote in Southern District.