Nominations from teachers’ union push John Tsang closer to joining Hong Kong chief executive election
Former financial secretary closes in on 150 nominations needed to enter race
John Tsang Chun-wah looks set to become the second chief executive contender to get into the race, alongside the city’s former No 2 Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, after he scooped up nominations from educators in the pan-democratic camp yesterday.
The 35 nominations given by the Professional Teachers’ Union to the former financial secretary will boost his total number of nominations to about 100, inching closer to the threshold of 150 needed to enter the election to be held on March 26.
Strategic voting by pan-democrats in the Election Committee could also well see dark horse candidate retired judge Woo Kwok-hing cross the entry line, though he has only 70 nominations so far.
Watch: John Tsang talks to SCMP about his CE bid
Explaining their decision yesterday, union vice-president and lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen said the union’s members in the Election Committee would all nominate Tsang and their choice was based on four considerations: 60 per cent of support among members according to an internal poll, Tsang’s better platform on education and political reform, and this was “what the society needed”.