CONFIDENTIAL
153451 MDLIAN 5072
KUNG.
7.
MUN,
MP MANAGED TO GET ITS 9 INCUMBENT DB MEMBERS IN TUEN CENTRAL/WESTERN, KWUN TONG AND NORTH RE-ELECTED, AND WON TWO ADDITIONAL SEATS IN NORTH DISTRICT.
8.
THE LDF, NICKNAMED THE 'INVISIBLE PARTY' BY ITS OPPONENTS, SAID THAT IT WOULD MAKE KNOWN THE IDENTITY OF ITS SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES BUT ONLY AFTER CONSULTATION WITH THEM BECAUSE SOME OF THEM ALSO BELONGED TO THE PROGRESSIVE HONG KONG SOCIETY OR THE HONG KONG CIVIC ASSOCIATION. ACCORDING TO THE LDF'S OWN ACCOUNT AND PRESS REPORTS, THE FEDERATION DID WELL IN KOWLOON CITY (WHERE ALL 5 LDF CANDIDATES WON), WONG TAI SIN (WHERE 4 OUT OF 5 WON), AND TAI PO (8 OUT OF 8 WON). IT SUFFERED A SETBACK IN SOUTHERN WITH THE DEFEAT OF URBAN COUNCILLOR JOSEPH CHAN (WHO IS ALSO A LEADING MEMBER OF THE HK CIVIC ASSOCIATION), AND WAS UNABLE TO GAIN ANY FOOTHOLD IN THE LIBERAL STRONGHOLD OF KWAI TSING DESPITE
A CONCERTED ATTEMPT.
9. THE FTU DEMONSTRATED IN THIS ELECTION THAT THEY COULD COMMAND SUPPORT AT THE GRASS ROOT LEVEL. IT IS CLEAR HOWEVER THAT THEIR STRENGTH IS CONCENTRATED IN POCKETS WITHIN A FEW DISTRICTS, E.G. WONG TAI SIN, EASTERN, AND KWUN TONG. IT MUST BE NOTED HOWEVER THAT NOT ALL PRO-CHINA CANDIDATES HAD BEEN SPONSORED BY THE FTU. MANY OF THEM WERE SUPPORTED BY PRO-CHINA ORGANISATIONS AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL, SOME OF WHICH HAVE HAD CONSIDERABLE LOCAL CONTACTS AND INFLUENCE. THUS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PRO-CHINA CANDIDATES SUCCESSFULLY RETURNED IN THE DB ELECTION IS LARGER THAN THE 12 CLAIMED BY THE FTU.
10. THE HKDF IS, RELATIVELY SPEAKING, LEAST SUCCESSFUL AMONG THE MAJOR POLITICAL GROUPS. WITH ONLY 3 ELECTED DB MEMBERS, IT IS NOT
EXPECTED TO HAVE ANY REAL IMPACT IN DBS.
11.
IN ASSESSING THE PERFORMANCE OF VARIOUS POLITICAL GROUPS IN THIS ELECTION, IT SHOULD BE BORNE IN MIND THAT ELECTORAL SUCCESSES OF CANDIDATES DO NOT AUTOMATICALLY TRANSLATE INTO SUPPORT FOR THE SPONSORING GROUP OR IDENTIFICATION WITH ITS PHILOSOPHY. MOST VOTERS WHEN QUESTIONED SAID THAT THEY DID NOT CARE ABOUT CANDIDATES' POLITICAL VIEW OR AFFILIATIONS, AND THAT THEY DECIDED WHOM TO VOTE FOR ON THE BASIS OF LOCAL DISTRICT ISSUES. NEVERTHELESS THE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF THESE POLITICAL GROUPS IN THE DB ELECTIONS MUST HAVE GIVEN THEM USEFUL EXPERIENCE AND SELF-CONFIDENCE IN DEVELOPING THEIR CAMPAIGN STRATEGY FOR THE
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