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Two pro-democracy district councilors pass first hurdle for running in Legco race
Two pro-democracy district councillors, Mandy Tam Heung-man and Fong Lung-fei, managed to get enough nominations to run in the Legislative Council election to be held on December 19.
Under the new electoral system, people hoping to stand in the election have to secure two to four nominations from each of the five sectors in the 1,448-member election committee.
Tam, 64, a Wong Tai Sin district councillor, has submitted her nominations to run in the Kowloon Central constituency, as she said many citizens are not satisfied with the lack of diversified voices within the legislature.
The former accounting sector lawmaker, elected in 2004, said Legco is filled with “loyal pieces of garbage,” and she hopes to kick them out and monitor the government herself.
One nomination came from her former colleague in the Wong Tai Sin district council, Maggie Chan Man-ki, who is also a deputy to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Chan said she has been working with Tam for many years and thinks of her as a “patriot.”
Tam was also nominated by former chairman of the Federation of Public Housing Estates Wong Kwan, who found Tam to be “a principled person.”
Fong, 49, an Islands district councillor, wants to run in the Hong Kong Island West constituency.
He secured a nomination after cold calling reverend Peter Koon Ho-ming, who is provincial secretary general of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui.
Koon said after learning about Fong’s political philosophy, he got to know that the other was a mild and reasonable person and learnt that both of them are Christians.
Fong added that All-China Youth Federation committee member Sharon Tam Suet-yan was also one of those nominating him.
He said there are problems that go beyond the scope of district councillors, which prompted him to run in the Legco elections. The biggest challenge for him was to secure sufficient nominations, he said on Facebook on Sunday.
The nomination period will run until November 12.
Getting enough nominations is only the first hurdle one needs to pass. Potential candidates need to also get through a vetting committee which screens election candidates, and who will throw out anyone who fail to uphold the Basic Law and genuinely pledge allegiance to the SAR government.
Tam, 64, a Wong Tai Sin district councillor, has submitted her nominations to run in the Kowloon Central constituency, as she said many citizens are not satisfied with the lack of diversified voices within the legislature.
The former accounting sector lawmaker, elected in 2004, said Legco is filled with “loyal pieces of garbage,” and she hopes to kick them out and monitor the government herself.
One nomination came from her former colleague in the Wong Tai Sin district council, Maggie Chan Man-ki, who is also a deputy to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Chan said she has been working with Tam for many years and thinks of her as a “patriot.”
Tam was also nominated by former chairman of the Federation of Public Housing Estates Wong Kwan, who found Tam to be “a principled person.”
Fong, 49, an Islands district councillor, wants to run in the Hong Kong Island West constituency.
He secured a nomination after cold calling reverend Peter Koon Ho-ming, who is provincial secretary general of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui.
Koon said after learning about Fong’s political philosophy, he got to know that the other was a mild and reasonable person and learnt that both of them are Christians.
Fong added that All-China Youth Federation committee member Sharon Tam Suet-yan was also one of those nominating him.
He said there are problems that go beyond the scope of district councillors, which prompted him to run in the Legco elections. The biggest challenge for him was to secure sufficient nominations, he said on Facebook on Sunday.
The nomination period will run until November 12.
Getting enough nominations is only the first hurdle one needs to pass. Potential candidates need to also get through a vetting committee which screens election candidates, and who will throw out anyone who fail to uphold the Basic Law and genuinely pledge allegiance to the SAR government.
