Hong Kong elections: opposition camp members struggle to enter race for four industry-based legislative seats
- Hopefuls having trouble drumming up enough nominations for seats in real estate and construction, financial services, insurance and tourism
- Voters have traditionally gone with pro-establishment figures, who in some cases ran unchallenged in the past
The hopefuls said they had difficulty finding the required 10 nominations, as the industries – real estate and construction, financial services, insurance and tourism – were closely related to mainland China and voters within those businesses were under pressure to nominate their rivals.
Lee Faulkner, a British actuary who has lived in Hong Kong for nine years, is aiming to challenge Chan Kin-por, who was first elected as the insurance sector lawmaker in 2008 and had won unopposed since 2012.
This is not democracy. It’s 21st century feudalism
“The seat is decided by 134 registered insurance companies, but there are 130,000 direct stakeholders – agents, brokers and employees – in insurance today,” Faulkner said on Saturday. “This is not democracy. It’s 21st century feudalism.”
Gary Li Wing-choi, a district councillor in Wan Chai who holds a real estate sales agent licence, is eyeing the seat for real estate and construction, which incumbent representative Abraham Shek Lai-him has held unchallenged since 2004.
“If I had a chance, I would raise the issue of youth housing, hoping to reignite hopes of the youngsters,” Li said.
He had approached many small and mid-sized enterprises among the 671 voters, but was pessimistic he could gain enough nominations by the time the window closed on Friday.
