The nomination period for the Chief Executive Election concluded yesterday. As confirmed by the Registration and Electoral Office, there are three candidates running in the CE election: Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, John Tsang Chun-wah and Woo Kwok-hing. The three all qualify to race for the CE Election in the voting held on March 26.
Right now, in view of the numbers of nominating ballots, there seems no suspense about the election result as Carrie Lam has greater advantages and the upper hand. But it may not be so. In fact, Carrie Lam not only needs to be nominated with a high number of nominating ballots, but needs even more to be elected with the highest number of votes possible. Only in this way, can this CE Election manifest its great significance, and truly benefit the overall interests of Hong Kong society and citizens.
It must point out that the ongoing CE Election is held after such extremely radical incidents as the 79-day illegal Occupy Central, Mong Kok Riot on Lunar New Year Day and the rise of "localism" and "independence for Hong Kong". The current Hong Kong society needs to stop being split, to foster harmony, to develop the economy and improve people's livelihood, to better integrate itself into the nation's 13th Five-Year Plan and grasp the development opportunities brought about by the One Belt One Road programme, and to give young people hopes and create opportunities for them to bring their talents into play. All this requires the leadership of a mighty CE winning out in the election with highest number of votes. Only in this way, can changes be made in social atmosphere, confrontation be eased, and the SAR continue to move ahead along the road of "one country two systems". Otherwise, the deadlock can hardly be broken and the tense situation hardly be eased, and Hong Kong will continue to sink amid internal friction
No doubt, of the three CE candidates, only one who can - with incomparable sincerity, resolve and persistence - awaken Hong Kong society's home consciousness to get rid of unnecessary political antagonism and return to the road of "Under the Lion Rock" to "put aside our hearts' conflicts and pursue our dreams together". This person is Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor who is deeply trusted by the Central Government and supported by Hong Kong society.
For Carrie Lam to attain the goal, she must be both nominated and elected with highest number of votes. Only in this way, can her might and position be underlined, can the beautiful vision of uniting Hong Kong society to set out again on a clear day materialises. Otherwise, if something goes wrong with the election, then not only Carrie Lam personally but the whole Hong Kong society will have to pay the price.
That Carrie Lam strives to win highest number of nominating ballots to qualify for the CE Election and to win highest number of votes in the election is also for the same reason. Personal honour or humiliation is a small matter, what matters is the SAR's success or failure. The current SAR desperately needs a mighty CE elected with highest number of votes to foster harmony, promote unity and bring new air and hope for Hong Kong society. A candidate cannot take up such heavy responsibility who is not trusted by the Central Government, whose political stand is drifting, ambiguous and irresponsible, and who could even bring about a major constitutional crisis for not being appointed by the Central Government.
As a matter of fact, apart from Carrie Lam, the words and deeds and political integrity of the other two CE candidates, John Tsang Chun-wah and Woo Kwok-hing, can only be described with the words "horrible and appalling".
Not to mention others, John Tsang seems still to be having his daydream amid the mist of "high popularity", but on major matters of principle such as restarting political reform and legislation on Article 23 of the Basic Law, his stance is drifting and incomprehensible. On these issues, his knowledge could be said even more shallow then Joshua Wong Chi-fung's. Another candidate "Judge Woo" is even worse, who has gone so far as to pledge as his aspiration and goal for running in the election "to block the election of Carrie Lam with 200 per cent determination". With such aspiration, and indeed with what he himself said that he would have participated in Occupy Central had he been 10 or 20 year younger, why in hell does he want to run in the CE Election?
02 March 2017
