As of 3:30am Hong Kong time, preliminary results in the Chinese media show the pro-China parties with a strong lead. The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB) is now anticipating a total of 114 seats, up from 62. That's rather big.
This special page (in Chinese) on the Ming Pao website continues to be updated with all the latest.
Roland Soong has a translation from the Chinese-language Those Were the Days blog reacting to the Tsang Yok-sing editorial bashing the pro-democratic camp for hypocrisy. The post concludes:
If Tsang was genuinely not concerned about "heating up the election" and believed that the DAB candidates were superior to the pan-democrats, there ought to be debates at public forums instead of evasions that result in insufficient information. No matter how mature the voters are, how do they make rational voters? Sophistry is about criticizing the opponent while concealing one's weakness.
Yet, if the pan-democrats are overwhelmingly defeated in the district council elections, I would still feel that it was the fault of the pan-democrats. Regardless of the strategies and tactics of their opponents, they ought to have no fear no matter political conspiracies are worked up by their opponents? But if Jasper Tsang Yuk-sing said he trust the democratic choice of the people of Hong Kong, then why doesn't the DAB believe that the people of Hong Kong should be able to choose their own Chief Executive in 2002? Could they believe in the people when it is advantageous to them, but not when it is not to their advantage?
No matter what the outcome is today, no matter whether the pan-democrats win or lose, it is the choice made by the people of Hong Kong. That should be respected and accepted. Wins or losses are less important than learning the lessons and improving oneself, while avoiding the unnecessary arguments.
It will be interesting to hear what the pundits have to say in the morning.
(Longer version of this post cross-posted on the HKStories blog.)
Honestly, I have yet to see on American politican that runs on "anti-America", not even the most absurd frindge candidate.
Posted by: Chalres Liu | November 18, 2007 at 10:18 PM
Hey, Charles - I "get" you now. You're a mirror. Neato. But in the end it's still ol' hackneyed Chuck looking back.
Posted by: Clarke | November 20, 2007 at 11:15 PM