Rivals are using smear tactics to try to win the upcoming district council elections, the head of the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong said yesterday.
DAB chairman Tsang Yok-sing made the remark at a 2,000-strong election rally at Kowloon Park to drum up support for its 206 candidates ahead of next Sunday's elections.
The rally came one day after more than 2,000 joined an unprecedented public meeting organised by 10 pro-democracy political parties and groups in Hong Kong.
Addressing participants who waved light sticks and flags bearing the names of candidates, Mr Tsang said some people had resorted to various tactics to smear the DAB's contenders. But he said they could win anyway, on the strength of their ability and long-term constituency work. Although he made no specific accusations, he was thought to be referring to the negative campaign used by the Democratic Party. It published a flier highlighting Mr Tsang's much-criticised remarks about the Article 23 controversy and the July 1 protest.
One of the most high-profile contests in the district polls is in the Central and Western district, where the incumbent, DAB vice-chairman Ip Kwok-him, is being challenged by The Frontier's Cyd Ho Sau-lan in the Kwun Lung constituency.
The race is widely regarded as a battle symbolising the popular support for democracy.
