“Elections in Hong Kong are conducted according to the election laws of Hong Kong,” Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying told the media on Tuesday.
Leung was responding to comments made by Wang Zhenmin, the legal chief of the China Liaison Office in Hong Kong, last Thursday. Wang said that it was normal for the central government in Beijing to care about Hong Kong’s elections when asked about accusations that the official Chinese organ was meddling in the recent elections.
Liberal Party honorary president James Tien Pei-chun previously claimed that China Liaison Office officials had asked him to dissuade the party’s candidate Ken Chow Wing-kan from running in the Legislative Council election before he suddenly pulled out, citing threats.
The Liaison Office was also accused of being behind vote coordinating efforts to get newcomer pro-Beijing candidates elected, namely Eunice Yung Hoi-yan and Junius Ho Kwan-yiu.
The office has not responded to these allegations of vote coordination. Pro-Beijing lawmaker-elect Regina Ip told Ming Pao on Sunday that the Liaison Office has talked to her regarding candidates for Legislative Council President. Starry Lee, another incoming pro-Beijing lawmaker, also admitted to “unofficial contact” with the Liaison Office.
