A TOUGH election battle began in Sai Kung yesterday, as six candidates shaped up for the race to fill the Regional Council seat vacated by convicted politician Gilbert Leung Kam-ho.
Although nominations do not close for another week, campaigning is already underway, with a rare clash between the territory's three liberal parties and Hongkong's new pro-Beijing political force about to face its first test at the polls.
After Leung's three-year sentence for bribery, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has vowed to keep a tight watch on this and other elections.
''We will be monitoring the elections carefully,'' said its new commissioner, Bertrand de Speville.
Hongkong's political parties are using the August 8 by-election as a dry run for the 1995 polls.
Already past alliances between liberal groups have been forgotten as the United Democrats of Hongkong, Meeting Point, and the Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood (ADPL) have all entered the race.
''We made no attempt at compromise before putting forward our candidate,'' said United Democrat nominee Lam Wing-yin, vice-chairman of the party's New Territories East branch.