Scale of HK Jan. 1 rally overestimated

TheoutcomeoftheJan.1rallyorganizedbypan-democraticpartiesofHongKongwentbelowanticipation,accordingtothePoliceForce.

TheHongKongPoliceForceclaimedthatthenumberofparticipantswere11100,whiletheorganizerCivilHumanRightsFrontannouncedthefiguretobe30000,fallingshortoftheestimated50000people.

Therallywasheldforthesecondtime,demandinggreenlightofcivilnominationasthebasisofpickingupcandidatesfortheuniversalsuffrageoftheHongKongChiefExecutive(CE)in2017.Suchrightsasabodinganduniveralretirementprotectionarealsounderthelimelight,alongsidetheupcomingelectionaffairs.

SeveralparticipantstoldtheAPDthattheyweretheretovoicedissatisfactionovertheunderperformanceoftheadministrationoftheincumbentCELeungChunYing,inrelationstothearrangementofuniversalsuffrageandlivelihoodissuesofthecitizens.Theysaidtheydonotexpectanypositivesolutioncomingupfromtheconsultationofthepoliticalreformwhichisunderwayatthemoment,andtheofficialsarelikelytobulldozeoveranypolicy,includingthoseagainstpeople’swish.

ExtremedemocraticlawmakerLeungKwok-hungurgedthecrowdtofighttoothandnail,inapeacefulbutincooperativemannterfora“genuineuniversalsuffrage.Headdedtheexlusionofcivilnominationimpliestheimpossibilityofinvolvementofcandidateswithoutpoliticalpartymembershipsintotheelection,whichisbynomeansacceptable.

Ontheotherhand,EmilyLau,ChairladyoftheDemocraticPartyofHongKong,toldtheAPDthateventhoughshebuysthe“oneperson,onevotemechanism,itisnotaneccesarycriteriontoconstitutinguniversalsuffrage.

“Webackanypropositionasalongasthethresholdislowenoughtoenablepersonsofdifferentpoliticalspectrumstoentertheelection,Lausaid.