GUARDIAN: … Leung Chun-ying secured 689 votes from a 1,200-seat committee of business leaders and other elites to be declared chief executive of the semi-autonomous territory.
Henry Tang, who was seen early on as Beijing’s choice before a string of gaffes and scandals, received 285 votes. The pro-democracy candidate Albert Ho got 76 votes…
The race heightened many Hong Kongers’ desire to directly elect their leader, which Beijing has promised could happen as early as 2017, although no road map has been laid out. A yawning rich-poor gap and sky-high housing prices have stirred resentment of the city’s billionaires and their perceived close ties with the government… (more)
EDITOR: The Chinese leadership had used Hong Kong as a model for exploring and later introducing capitalism and for experimentation with greater public participation in government. The leadership is also allowing villages more freedom in choosing their local leaders.
