Top two in Hong Kong leadership race reveal campaign spending
They spent HK$22.8m in total and had over HK$11m left in their war chests, which will go to various charities
The two front runners in Hong Kong’s leadership race spent a total of more than HK$22.8 million on campaigning, it was revealed on Monday, regardless of criticism that it was a small-circle election with the winner pre-endorsed by Beijing.
The pair said they would donate a surplus HK$11.3 million to charities. These include five organisations, picked by Lam, that serve children and young people. One analyst said this her latest gesture of support towards the city’s younger generation.
All three candidates submitted accounts of their campaign expenses to the Registration and Electoral Office ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.
The chief executive-elect announced she had raised about HK$18.7 million and spent roughly HK$12.6 million. The HK$6.1 million surplus goes to six non-governmental organisations and the Salvation Army.
Tsang, the former financial secretary and popular underdog in the race, raised HK$15.3 million and
got through HK$10.2 million. His surplus will be donated to 10 charities that assist the disabled and people with long-term medical needs, including the Hong Kong Anti-Cancer Society and Hong Kong Down Syndrome Association.
Candidates were justified to spend money on winning popular support
Lam won the race last month with 777 votes from the 1,194-member Election Committee, beating Tsang and retired judge Woo Kwok-hing, who bagged 365 votes and 21 votes respectively.
Political scientist Ivan Choy Chi-keung said: “Although this was a small-circle election, candidates were justified to spend money on winning popular support instead of just focusing on wooing the privileged voters.”
Lam said of the recipients of the donations: “These charitable organisations and their volunteers have been providing support and services to disadvantaged groups and the youth over the years. They are highly respectable and I fully support their work.”
One of the groups she picked was Youth Outreach, whose honorary president, surveyor Wan Man-yee, was a staunch supporter during her campaign.
The others include the Street Sleepers Action Committee, Precious Blood Children’s Village and Principal Chan Free Tutorial World, which engages volunteer tutors to provide free one-to-one tutorial services for underprivileged children.
Choy said Lam had sent a political message. “Lam is trying to show she wants to lobby young people’s support,” he said.
Youth Outreach president and former civil servant Au King-chi said the group needed donations, with a quarter of its HK$40 million expenses last year coming from the government.
The limit for campaign expenses for each candidate was increased to HK$15.7 million from HK$13 million in 2012.
