Anson Chan discloses spending HK$1.8m on her election success

Former chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang spent HK$1.81 million on winning her Legislative Council seat in the December by-election for Hong Kong Island.

It is not known whether Mrs Chan dipped into her own finances for the campaign, where spending was capped at HK$2 million.

In her declaration of election expenses to the Registration and Electoral Office yesterday, Mrs Chan reported receiving donations of around HK$1.3 million, including cash and services, up from HK$925,321 in mid-December when she submitted details of her election donations to the Legco secretariat.

In her summary of donations, the Democratic Party donated services valued at HK$65,840, which included the cost of public opinion polls amounting to HK$10,233 and administration expenses of HK$49,204.

Despite being a candidate representing the pan-democratic camp, the Democratic Party was the only political party from the camp to donate to Mrs Chan's campaign. However, Daisy Tong, the wife of Civic Party lawmaker Ronny Tong Ka-wah, made a cash donation of HK$50,000, while Glory Million Investment contributed HK$150,000.

Mrs Chan's aide said the company's contribution was donated by a close friend of the legislator, who wished to remain anonymous.