Veteran lawmakers of the Democratic Party, including Albert Ho, Emily Lau, and Sin Chung-kai, are to run as No. 2 on candidates’ lists in the upcoming Legislative Council elections.
All three had previously said that they would not seek another term on the council, with Ho saying that he hoped that he would not have to run as the No. 2 on candidates’ lists in February. The party announced on Sunday that it will send out eight lists of candidates to run in five districts, a functional constituency, and the District Council (Second) seats in the legislature.
Lee Cheuk-ting, Andrew Wan Siu-kin, and Ted Hui Chi-fung will run ahead of Lau, Ho, and Sin respectively for New Territories East, New Territories West, and Hong Kong Island. It is unlikely that the three veterans will be elected under the current Hong Kong’s election system, because a high number of votes is required for a candidate placed second on a list to be voted into the legislature.
Helena Wong Pik-wan and Wu Chi-wai will run for seats in Kowloon West and Kowloon East respectively, while James To Kun-sun and Roy Kwong will run for the District Council (Second) seats. Au Nok-hin will run for a seat in the Wholesale and Retail constituency.
The average age of candidates representing the party this year is 42.8 years old, 10 years younger than the average age of Democratic Party representatives in the Legislative Council, at 52.8 years.
‘Umbrella soldiers’
“Umbrella soldiers,” representing political parties formed after the pro-democracy occupy protests of 2014, have formed an alliance named ALLinHK and will nominate three lists of candidates to run in the New Territories and Kowloon.
Yongspiraton’s spokesperson Kenny Wong Chun-kit said at a rally on Monday that “…Uncountable examples include the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, the third runway, Chinese classes in Mandarin. We gave so much hope to them but in exchange it’s disappointment time and time again.” Wong said that Hong Kong should be saved by Hong Kong people.”Hong Kong people will use their identity as an ethnic group to make decisions for themselves and decide on their future themselves,” he said.
Along with Tin Shui Wai New Force’s spokesperson and community organiser Henry Wong Pak-yu, Wong will run for New Territories West. Kowloon East Community spokesperson Chan Chak-to will run for Kowloon East, and Youngspiration’s Yau Wai-ching will run for Kowloon West.
ALLinHK consists of Youngspiration, Kowloon East Community, Tin Shui Wai New Force, Community Establishment Power, Tsz Wan Shan Constructive Power, Tuen Mun Community Concern Group.
