Pan-democratic allies at Anson Chan Fang On-sang's first mass election rally yesterday pledged to mobilise their hundreds of thousands of members to support her in the Hong Kong Island by-election.
Mrs Chan's supporters also criticised her rival, Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, and branded her a 'fake democrat' concerning her proposal on universal suffrage.
But Mrs Ip said last night she had more experience in democracy than many advocates of democracy in Hong Kong.
Overwhelmed by the enthusiastic support from the 300-strong crowd, Mrs Chan choked back tears on the stage as she vowed to step up efforts to win the by-election for the Legislative Council seat that became vacant after Ma Lik, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, died in August.
'The huge support will just urge me to be even more hard working in enlisting votes,' the former chief secretary said at the end of the two-hour gathering at Wah Fu housing estate.
Referring to Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen's tax reductions and the health-care voucher scheme, Mrs Chan said the community increasingly felt that it was being treated unfairly by the government.
'The reductions in profits tax and salaries for top income earners are worth HK$5 billion. But the medical voucher scheme for the elderly costs just HK$150 million. Is this fair?' she asked.
