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Hong Kong politics
OpinionHong Kong Opinion
Mike Rowse
Opinion
Mike Rowse

Why Hong Kong must not be hasty in seeing off its ‘silver’ officials

There is a case for refreshing stock by having a reasonable turnover, but it needs to be tempered by the benefits of retaining experience

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People walk past a billboard promting the Legislative Council election at the government headquarters in Admiralty on October 16. Photo: Karma Lo
Mike Rowse
Mike Rowse is an independent commentator.

I think we should be bracing ourselves for a wave of disgruntled legislative councillors, and it might not end there. If a Legislative Council stalwart goes out the door, could an Executive Council heavyweight be far behind?

Every day seems to bring news of another of our 89 legislative councillors not seeking re-election this year, with more than a dozen already pulling out of the race. In some instances, the legislator claims plausibly to wish to pursue other career or life objectives. That does not appear to be the case for others, though, so is it legitimate for the public and the media to ask whether they jumped or were pushed?

To qualify as a candidate, an individual must navigate a lengthy process during the nomination period, which runs from October 24 to November 6. It has been generally believed that only candidates “blessed” by Beijing can secure the necessary signatures, although Beijing’s top office overseeing the city’s affairs recently denied that there is such a thing as a “blessing” for candidates. We will know who is definitely out long before polling day on December 7, though we will not know who is successful in the likely few contested constituencies until Election Day.
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