‘Don’t ask us to quit’: Regina Ip stands firm on candidacy, demands equal treatment in chief executive race

With a shaky voice, Ip asks Election Committee to vote based on aspirants’ manifestos, not Beijing’s favour

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Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee with her campaign manager Miranda Chiu at Tuesday’s media gathering. Photo: David Wong

Published: 6:30pm, 17 Jan 2017Updated: 8:50am, 18 Jan 2017

One of Hong Kong’s two “iron ladies” contesting the city’s leadership election fought back tears yesterday as she complained of pressure to pull out of the chief executive race amid intense speculation that her rival was already Beijing’s preferred choice.

Former security minister Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee urged Beijing to allow Hong Kong to have a “fair and open” election in March, saying no one should be persuaded to quit a race that had barely begun.

Ip, a prominent pro-establishment lawmaker and chairwoman of the New People’s Party, did not mince words a day after former chief secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced her candidacy with a promise to bring “good governance” to Hong Kong.

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying yesterday praised Lam’s track record as an accountable official – which he projected as a key attribute for the top job. He did not give a similar vote of confidence to former finance minister John Tsang Chun-wah, Lam’s potential arch-rival who is expected to announce his bid tomorrow.

Amid wide speculation about Lam’s advantage over her rivals, Basic Law Committee vice-chairwoman Elsie Leung Oi-sie said on Saturday that there were too many candidates and some of them should consider their chances of winning before running.

“No one asked me to quit and I would not accept such a request,” Ip said as she stressed the need for all candidates to get a fair shot at the top job.

Asked what message she wanted to convey to Beijing, Ip said: “I hope we can have a fair and open election. Only such an election would be good for Hong Kong in the long run … Let different candidates compete according to their strengthens; don’t ask anyone to quit before the race has started.”