HONG
KONG: Self-made millionaire property
consultant Leung Chun-ying won Hong Kong's leadership election on Sunday, after
the most divisive vote since the city reverted to Chinese rule in 1997.
Leung
was chosen by a pro-Beijing committee as thousands of protesters rallied
outside the harbourside convention centre where the vote took place, demanding
full democracy in the semi-autonomous former British colony.
Leung,
57, will replace outgoing Chief Executive Donald Tsang in July after winning
689 of the votes from the 1,200-strong election committee, according to an
official count.
He
promised to "reunite" Hong Kong and protect its "rights and
freedoms" following an election which split the city's establishment camp
and forced Beijing to heed popular opinion as never before.
"Now
that the contest is over it is time to reunite," Leung said in his victory
speech.
"With
one heart and one vision we can turn Hong Kong into a more prosperous, more
righteous and more progressive society," he said, acknowledging
"deep-rooted problems" such as high property prices and a yawning
wealth gap.
He also
pledged to "pave the way for enhanced democracy with an open and fair
election system" in 2017, when Beijing has promised all citizens will be
entitled to vote for a chief executive from a vetted group of candidates.
China
congratulated Leung and said the election respected Hong Kong's constitution
under mainland rule, Xinhua news agency quoted a Chinese official in Hong Kong
as saying.
In
office, Leung "will definitely lead the government of the Special
Administrative Region to unite all circles of society", the unidentified official
said.
The US
embassy issued a statement congratulating Leung and looking forward to
"continued progress toward the goal of full universal suffrage".
Taiwan also offered its congratulations.
Leung's
main rival was establishment insider Henry Tang, 59, who was initially
considered the strong Beijing-backed favourite. But his campaign struggled to
recover from a series of personal scandals and verbal gaffes.
Tang
received only 285 votes from the committee and at an emotional press
conference, he apologised to his supporters and promised to continue to serve
the people.
Pro-democracy
candidate Albert Ho trailed with 76 votes, and he condemned the result as a
"disgusting" display of "blatant interference" from China.
The
2012 election has been complicated by the behind-the-scenes machinations of
mainland China's own once-in-a-decade leadership struggle, with various
factions seeking to flex their muscles ahead of the transition later this year.
The
Hong Kong protests, which could be heard inside the tally room, were noisy but
generally peaceful. Some demonstrators tried to force their way into the
convention centre but were pushed back by police.
Committee
members such as Asia's richest man, Li Ka-shing, were mobbed by reporters and
harassed by protesters as they arrived to cast their ballots.
Radical
lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung arrived in a yellow emperor suit, a pig-wolf mask and
holding a papier-mache Chinese tank, shouting "I am the king and
kingmaker", in a theatrical parody of the election process.
Hundreds
more marched on mainland China's Hong Kong liaison office, where they passed
out "hell money" for the dead, symbolising the death of local
democracy in the city of seven million people.
"Nobody
is representing the grassroots, which is the majority of Hong Kong
society," social worker Tiny Wong, 37, told AFP at the protest.
Leung's
humble origins as a policeman's son stand in stark contrast to Tang's
background as heir to a textile fortune, but both men are considered
pro-Beijing, establishment figures.
Leung
carved out a fortune from real estate before entering politics as a relative
outsider.
Born in
1954, he is known as a self-made property consultant and, most recently, as the
soft-spoken convener of the Executive Council, the city's top policy-making
body.
Leung
was considered an outsider at the start of the race in contrast to the well-connected
Tang. But Tang's campaign faltered with the discovery of a huge illegal
entertainment suite in his home and an admission of marital infidelity.
Tang's
wealthy backers were forced to reconsider their positions, leading to an
unprecedented split in the establishment camp.
Outgoing
leader Tsang and his predecessor, Tung Chee-hwa, the city's first post-handover
leader, were by contrast elected virtually unopposed after receiving the clear
backing of Beijing.
-
AFP/cc/ck
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