Tomorrow's poll will mark the end of the chief executive election campaign. Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen is certain to win by a huge margin in such an unfair, 'small-circle' election. Yet, the outstanding point in this election is that pan-democratic challenger Alan Leong Kah-kit was able to obtain enough nominations to enter the race - making possible a contested chief executive contest.
That, however, is nothing new to Hong Kong. The first chief executive election, a decade ago, was a contested race too, but it did not change the fact that the election results were predetermined.
The only difference Mr Leong's participation has made is that he has successfully brought pressure on Mr Tsang, and made people realise that all chief executive candidates should be accountable to the general public and should have to seek their support.
The reason Mr Leong decided to run in the first place was to help people understand the ridiculous and unfair nature of the small-circle election. Under the existing electoral system, no matter how hard he and other pan-democrats try, they don't have the slimmest chance of winning. A genuine democratic system is thus necessary to straighten out the situation.
The pan-democrats could have pursued such a political ideal. However, Mr Leong's unstable performance throughout the campaign was somewhat disappointing, including his election platform - with a vision that couldn't be realised - and his scathing attacks on Mr Tsang's reluctance to promise universal suffrage.
His biggest mistake was that, soon after he declared his candidacy, he forgot his political mission: to give Hongkongers a valuable political lesson. Instead, he seems to have come to believe that he has a chance of winning. He even announced that he would invite Justice Secretary Wong Yan-lung, Airport Authority chairman Victor Fung Kwok-king and Executive Council member Henry Fan Hung-ling to join his cabinet if he's elected.
It is ridiculous that Mr Leong, who opposes the small-circle election, has chosen to take part in - and even enjoyed - the election. He has only endorsed the rationality of the small-circle election. It's not surprising that he and other pan-democratic legislators were denounced by members of the League of Social Democrats in a rally on Sunday.
