Newly elected members urged to support "One Country, Two Systems"

The Election Council on Wednesday returned 36 Hong Kong-based deputies to the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) and seven deputies to the standby list.

All 23 incumbent deputies were re-elected, with Martin Liao Cheung-kong, lawmaker and standing committee member of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, emerging as the "Ballot King" with 1,403 votes. Former secretary for security Ambrose Lee, who campaigned for the first time, finished on a high note with 1,387 votes in second place.

NPC Standing Committee member Rita Fan, who topped the poll five years ago, languished near the bottom with 1,155 votes. She did not deny that her diminished votes were connected with criticism she leveled at Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying earlier this year.

Fan could not hide her disappointment when she spoke to the press after the election result was announced. She said she was a one-man band and could not lobby all the Election Council members for their support.

Fan was asked if her criticism upon Leung may have caused her to lose votes. "I don't know how to tell lies and I just speak out my heart," she said. "If people don't like me because of this, I respect their decisions. I can't change my (style) for the sake of the election."

The candidate topping the ballot, Martin Liao, said he expected only 1,000 - 1,200 votes, so 1,403 votes exceeded his expectations and he felt greater pressure than when he was elected in the last term. A lawyer by profession, he said he would continue to focus on economic development, legal affairs and building of the legal system, because the country will face both opportunities and challenges in the next five years.

Former secretary for security Ambrose Lee said the mainland needs to move forward in human rights issues. "Our country has made progress but there is still room for further improvement," he said. "I hope to speak out with the other 35 deputies to help our country make rapid improvements in human rights issues in the coming years like her economic achievements."

A total of 1,488 Election Council members were present to cast their votes on Wednesday morning. Among the votes, 1,461 were valid against 27 voided votes. After the election results were announced, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, in his capacity as chairman of the presidium, extended congratulations to the winners.

Li Jianguo, deputy chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, who came from Beijing to observe the election, hailed the polling as smooth and orderly. He also asked the newly-elected deputies to live up to the people's expectation to take part in national affairs proactively, support "One Country, Two Systems" and contribute to the prosperity and stability of the country.

joseph@chinadailyhk.com

(HK Edition 12/20/2012 page1)