JEFFIE LAMjeffie.lam@scmp.com
PUBLISHED : Monday, 07 September, 2015, 4:25am
UPDATED : Monday, 07 September, 2015, 1:12pm
Kwai Tsing is the only one out of the 18 districts where the pan-dems have the edge over their pro-establishment opponents. Photo: Edward Wong
To pan-democrats, Kwai Tsing is a sympathetic oasis of voters as it is the only one out of the 18 districts where the camp has the edge over their pro-establishment opponents.
However, they do not hold the top posts of chairman and deputy - as six appointed seats in the 35-member council tipped the balance of power to the government-friendly side, even though democrats won 15 out of 29 directly elected seats in 2011.
But as appointed seats will be abolished this year, the prodemocracy camp is now hoping to extend its advantage in the November polls and turn Kwai Tsing into the city's only district council that is not dominated by Beijing loyalists - a position it has held in the past.
Democratic Party vicechairman Andrew Wan Siu-kin, a Kwai Tsing district councillor, said the camp could realise the goal should it beat its opponents in two key constituencies - On Ho and Ching Fat. Opinion polls indicate that Democrat candidates are leading there.
"But it's a very, very tough battle," Wan admitted.
"The pro-establishment camp has been pouring way more resources into districts like Kwai Tsing - or Sham Shui Po - where the pan-democrats exert significant influence. They don't really care much about the districts where Beijing loyalists already enjoy the absolute advantage."
Kwai Tsing has long been regarded as the bridgehead for the pan-democrats. They won 23 out of 28 popularly elected seats in 2000. But over the past decade, the margin between the two camps has been narrowing, leaving the pan-democrats just one seat ahead in the last polls.
Wan, who beat his opponent by more than 1,000 votes in the 2011 race, said the current election atmosphere was the worst since he first ran in 2003.
He accused pro-Beijing aspirants of distorting the councillor-voter relationship by handing out extravagant free gifts, which he said was no different from indirectly "bribing voters".
"I also give out free gifts - such as moon cakes, Chinese New Year gift bags and festive dumplings for the Dragon Boat festival," he said. "But now the Beijing loyalists do not just do it at festivals but throughout the year, giving out free bags of rice weighing several kilograms and even electronic appliances … I hope people can rate the aspirants by their ability and not by how many free gifts they offer."
Another district councillor, Tam Wai-chun of the Business and Professionals Alliance, said the council could be controlled by pan-democrats if her allies failed to stay united. "The pro-establishment camp does not necessarily have better electoral coordination as not many of us are in the same boat," she said.
In some constituencies, she said, more than one Beijing loyalist had indicated an intention to run, which could allow pan-democrats to reap the benefits of a multi-candidate contest.
Tam also hit back at Wan's accusation about giving out gifts, saying pan-democrats had done the same.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1855877/hong-kongs-pan-democrats-look-regain-control-kwai-tsing
