Hong Kong’s pro-establishment camp ‘disappointed’ with CY Leung’s shock decision not to seek re-election
But his supporters deny that his departure will weaken their Election Committee bids
Staunch supporters of Leung Chun-ying expressed grave disappointment at his decision yesterday. But they declined to say if his exit would weaken their bids to be elected to the 1,200-member committee that will choose the city’s next chief executive in March.
Analysts also argued it was still too early to say whom the pro-establishment camp would now back after Leung decided not to seek a second term, with Beijing die-hards waiting for a signal from the central government.
Former lawmaker Tony Tse Wai-chuen, who had nominated Leung in the 2012 polls, said he was saddened by the chief executive’s unexpected move. “I’m not happy and also feel sorry for him,” he said. “Leung has indeed soldiered on [to implement different policies] amid strong pressure from all sides.”
But Leung could have done better in the area of social cohesion and harmony, he conceded. Tse, who is running for the Election Committee polls on Sunday in the architectural, surveying, planning and landscape sector, denied Leung’s withdrawal would affect his own prospects.
Another core supporter of Leung, lawmaker Edward Lau Kwok-fan of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said he needed time to digest the “disappointing” news. Lau, a young North District councillor, rose to prominence in his party after Leung’s victory as he was among the first who declared his support for him in 2012. Having planned to back Leung’s re-election bid, Lau said it was too early to comment on the potential candidates but hoped they would float similar manifestos as Leung’s. Professor Lau Siu-kai, vice-chairman of the semi-official Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, believed more practical and rational candidates would win on Sunday as the “ABC” drive had become less appealing with Leung’s departure.
