Altogether, 943 candidates have registered for the Nov.22 district elections, including 66 who will run unopposed. Photo: HKEJ
EJ Insight » Hong KongToday, 11:54
Nearly 1,000 candidates will compete for 431 seats in the District Council elections scheduled for Nov. 22.
That’s an average of 2.4 candidates per seat after 943 filed their candidacies at the end of the nomination period on Thursday, Ming Pao Daily reports.
Fu Sun and Lok Tsui districts in Tuen Mun are the most competitive with six candidates for each seat, followed by Kwan Po district in Sai Kung at five to one.
By contrast, 66 candidates are running unopposed, including 20 from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB) and six from the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (HKFTU).
Chan Siu-kuen, an incumbent from the Tai Po Kau district who has thrice been elected without competition since 2003, is seeking a fourth term, again as a lone candidate.
DAB’s Ip Kwok-him said only those with a solid support base in the district can run unopposed.
Meanwhile, a new breed of young hopefuls who are veterans of last year’s Umbrella Movement are contesting in 31 districts.
They are up against candidates from the Democratic Party (DP) in head-to-head clashes in at least six districts.
The upstart politicians are going it alone after refusing to join pan-democrats in election strategy planning.
Legislative councilor Cyd Ho said pan-democrats have scant resources to challenge establishment candidates.
Pro-establishment candidates from the Liberal Party and New People’s Party are locking horns in two districts, with the latter also competing with the Business and Professionals Alliance in two other districts.
Grace Lam of the Hong Kong Awakening Association is taking on DAB leader Starry Lee in To Kwa Wan North and independent candidate Shum Ta-fung.
Eighteen Legco members are also taking part in the district elections, including Frederick Fung of Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People’s Livelihood, Albert Ho (DP), Kenneth Chan (Civic Party), Wong Kwok-hing (HKFTU) Christopher Chung (DAB) and independent lawmaker Paul Tse.
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