DAB Unveils Candidates For 'challenging' Legco Polls

Hong Kong’s biggest pro-Beijing party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), has released its list of candidates for the Legislative Council elections in September, describing it as the most challenging poll it has ever faced.

The party holds 13 seats in the current council.

The party chair Starry Lee is to run for the District Council (second) superseat, with Kwun Tong district councillor Frankie Ngan second on the ballot.

Incumbents Horace Cheung (Hong Kong Island), Vincent Cheng (Kowloon West), Holden Chow and Ben Chan (New Territories West), Gary Chan and Elizabeth Quat (New Territories East) are all seeking re-election.

This means veterans Ann Chiang, Leung Che-cheung and Wong Ting-kwong are gone, as will be current lawmakers Wilson Or, and Edward Lau.

Former Wong Tai Sin district councillor Joe Lai is a late replacement for Or, who announced he's not running last month.

In the functional constituencies, Steven Ho will look to retain his seat in the agricultural and fisheries sector.

A local delegate to the mainland's top advisory body, lawyer Kennedy Wong, has recently joined the DAB, and will try to retain the Import and Export seat vacated by Wong Ting-kwong.

Sham Shui Po district councillor Lau Pui-yuk will contest Legco’s district council (first) seat, and former district councillor Eric Tam will run in the social welfare sector.

Briefing the media, the party leader Lee accused the opposition of trying to “mutually destruct” Hong Kong by vetoing all government proposals, including future budgets, and paralysing Legco.

She alleged that their plan is to force Beijing to have a bloody crackdown here, to pave the way for sanctions from Western countries.

She said people should come out and vote to save themselves.

“The destiny is in our own hands,” Lee said, saying Hong Kong’s future hinges on this important election. She described the upcoming elections as the most challenging one in DAB’s history.