Via Dictionary of Politically Incorrect Hong Kong Cantonese
Bit much, guys?
CY Leung (梁振英) (a.k.a. Leung Chun-ying) has beaten scandal-ridden Henry Tang and pro-democracy candidate Albert Ho today to become Hong Kong’s new chief executive, securing 689 of the election committee’s votes. Tang was probably Beijing’s preferred choice, but he managed only 285 votes, his campaign derailed by accusations of extramarital affairs and unauthorized construction projects. Ho managed just 76 votes, and in a city ruled by business elites, this shouldn’t surprise anyone: he never had a chance. Yet if you listen to some Hong Kongers’ reactions, you’d think the Beijing-backed Leung just pulled off political larceny. Reality check time: Hong Kong is a city of naked commerce, and in the purported battle between “democracy” and “Beijing,” it’s the third party — which I suppose you could call Dolla Dolla — that has won (and will always win). You don’t have to support Dolla Dolla, but act like you’re at least aware of your city’s reality. People who still don’t like it can, oh I dunno, make more Hitler comparisons, cause that sure makes a lot of sense.
More overreactions — plus video of election announcement — after the jump.
Actually the party of dolla dolla lost. Tang was favoured by the party of dolla dolla right through today w/ Li Ka-shing and David Li (Bank of East Asia) shaking Tang’s hand this morning.
Tang was preferred by the Shanghai faction of the CCP due to connections between Tang’s father and Jiang Zemin. The Liaison Office in HK favoured Leung and was rumoured to be backed in Beijing by the Communist Youth League faction due to Leung’s long rumoured membership in the Communist Party.
The tanks are a reference to Leung’s comments about Deng Xiaoping, tanks rumbling through Beijing in 89 and Deng deserving the Nobel Peace Prize before Liu Xiaobo.
As for Ho not standing a chance, Beijing chose almost all of the 1200 members who got a vote. Do you think the CCP is going to choose folks who will vote for democracy? The ones who did vote for Ho or voted blank protest ballots today were the few directly-elected officials that are allowed as part of this farce. Because the one thing that has united the dolla dolla party and the CCP in Hong Kong for the last 15 years is a fear of the people of the Hong Kong being allowed to choose their own leaders and run their own destinies, because once they can, both dolla dolla and Beijing will be tossed to the curb.
Regardless of the election format, it seems to me like you’ll end up with someone who is rich and powerful in charge, because Hong Kong is filled with rich and powerful people who need representation. And just like in America, the party of power and money is the one that wins. To this outsider, that’s what the political reality seems to be.