Pro-establishment candidates appear relatively relaxed as some of their big-name rivals struggle to retain seats in district constituencies
EMILY TSANG, JOYCE NG, TONY CHEUNG, NG KANG-CHUNG AND JASMINE SIU
PUBLISHED : Monday, 23 November, 2015, 3:38am
UPDATED : Monday, 23 November, 2015, 3:44am
Frederick Fung reaches out to voters. Photo: Edward Wong
Pan-democrat heavyweights wrestling in multi-cornered fights faced a tense election day yesterday, while their pro-establishment counterparts were in a relaxed mood with even spare time to support allies.
Some of the 50 "umbrella soldiers" or Occupy Central protesters-turned-candidates struggled to make their voices heard as they were drowned out by the loudspeakers of their better-resourced opponents.
The hottest race was in Tuen Mun's Lok Tsui, where incumbent Albert Ho Chun-yan, former Democratic Party chairman, faced a united front of five other candidates, including former Law Society president Junius Ho Kwan-yiu, a lawyer known for his high-profile anti-Occupy stance.
Albert Ho said: "Despite being here in this district for over 19 years, this fight is particularly fierce … and I have been feeling a lot of pressure."
Albert Ho fights for votes. Photo: K. Y. Cheng
Whenever Ho tried to make a speech through the loudspeaker, his opponents' supporters booed him and chased him. He had to stay away from the polling station and rally support at a far end of the street.
The situation only grew more tense as night fell, when supporters of the five opponents shouted at Ho together: "All five of us are gents! Except one candidate." The lawmaker then scrambled into a car to tour the area and speak to voters through a loudspeaker.
No less desperate was Frederick Fung Kin-kee, also a pan-democrat lawmaker. He faced a two-front war, one side a pretty young Chan Wing-yan of the Federation of Trade Unions, and the other side Fung's former party fellow Eric Wong Chung-ki, who has returned after quitting politics a decade ago.
The seat is crucial for Fung, a "super seat" lawmaker who must first be a district councillor before running to keep his seat in the Legislative Council next year. He is the sole lawmaker of his party, the Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood.
Erica Yuen canvasses. Photo: K. Y. Cheng
Fung claimed that Wong, who asked residents to vote for him "so that Fung can focus on Legco", only came to "rob" his votes to hand victory to Chan.
In his constituency, Sham Shui Po's Lai Kok, an old public-housing estate with grey-haired men sitting all around in the park, some of them told the Post they voted for Chan, 25, because "Fung is too old".
Both Ho and Fung spent most of the day in their own constituencies, instead of canvassing for their younger colleagues in other places as in past elections.
But in contrast, Starry Lee Wai-king, chairwoman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), found time to come over to Fung's area to support Chan. Lee herself had a much easier fight than the two pan-democrats, having only an "umbrella soldier" and a long-time election runner and loser Lam Yi-lai in her battle in Kowloon City's To Kwa Wan North.
The DAB's Starry Lee (right) supports Chan Wing-yan. Photo: Edward Wong
Same for Paul Tse Wai-chun, a pro-establishment Independent lawmaker running for the district election for the first time, who only showed up in his area at Broadwood in Wan Chai in the afternoon, after canvassing for allies in Kowloon.
Like the pan-democrat heavyweights, the election was no easy war to fight for some "umbrella soldiers".
Leung Pak-kin, of new group The Wanchai Commons, who was contesting in the Tai Fat Hau constituency, was drowned out by supporters of his DAB rival Kenny Lee Kwun-kee.
Watch: 'Umbrella Soldiers' among candidates in Hong Kong's District Council elections
Recorded messages of support by veteran DAB member and Legislative Council president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing rang out, while Leung and his supporters' calls were hardly heard.
There were other umbrella soldiers who were more strongly backed, like Donald Chow Sai-kit, 23, of Youngspiration.
Results were not due out until early this morning.
Democrat James To canvasses with supporters.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1881902/umbrella-soldiers-battle-pro-establishment-candidates
