Speech for Hon. Lee Wing Tat at the Close of Nominations for the Election of the Chief Executive

Rallying Our Forces for a New Journey

15 June 2005

Fellow Hong Kong citizens, representatives of the media, members of the democratic camp, and members of Democratic Party :

During the past two weeks, I have received many pledges of support from members of the Election Committee. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to them. Despite this broad range of support, I was unable to secure the 100 Election Committee nominations that would have allowed me to qualify as a candidate, whereas Mr. Donald Tsang won almost 700 nominations. Therefore, I regret to announce that my campaign to secure nominations in the election for the post of Chief Executive has ended. I would like to express my heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Donald Tsang on his success in becoming the new Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR. I very much hope that he will drive Hong Kong's economy and the movement for democracy ahead at full stream. I would also like to express my special thanks to those 50 Election Committee members who nominated me. I know they might have faced pressures during the nomination period, but their selflessness made them fearless.

While today marks the end of the nominations for the election of the Chief Executive, it also draws our attention towards the 2007 election. In this connection, I am pleased to announce that Democratic Party will participate in every future election for the post of Chief Executive. We will actively participate in both the next election of the Election Committee members, and in the next election for the Chief Executive. I firmly believe that either the representative of the democratic camp or of the Democratic Party will secure the 100 nominations required to qualify as a candidate in the next election, thus enabling democrats to explain their policies for governing Hong Kong in clear detail.

The election gives society an opportunity for debate; but we must also prepare for the new road ahead that will follow it.

During the election, I announced a different governing philosophy from that of the uncontested candidate, Mr. Donald Tsang, via the media. After eight years of fear and torment under Mr. Tung's governance, I believe Hong Kong residents are looking for a brighter future after the election. Hong Kong people are hardworking, fast moving, and very good at finding ways to overcome adversity. They deserve a more democratic and better government. However, Hong Kong people do not have the right to participate in this election. The Democratic Party hereby pledges that we will continue to strive for universal suffrage for Hong Kong people.

During the past two months, I have made hundreds of phone calls to Election Committee members, held street forums every weekend, and attended more than 20 election forums organized by various political parties. I met different people from the community, and I believe that their participation will strengthen the democratic forces. I believe that pursuing democratic governance in Hong Kong will ultimately pursue democratic governance in China, and that universal suffrage in Hong Kong will definitely have a positive effect on the democratic movement in China.

What impressed me most during the past two months was the forum with the elderly. One lady, who suffers from a chronic illness, told me her real-life story. In order to save on medical expenses, she applied for an exemption from medical fees from government social workers. However, due to the bureaucratic process, she can only be granted exemption if she applies for it one day prior to receiving medical services. How can she predict when her sickness will strike¡H The elderly, together with all other Hong Kong people, have contributed their efforts to the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong. They deserve a better and more responsible government!

Besides those people who gave me valuable opinions during the forums, I would like to thank my friends, as well as members of both the Legislative Council and Democratic Party, for their support.

Here, I would like to give some advice to Mr. Donald Tsang:

"Only the humble people can point out the flaws in policies."

With patience and modesty, Mr. Tsang can gather penetrating judgments on the government from the society. Every opinion from the community is crucial in making better policies. In line with the principle of "reinforcing communication, active participation and monitoring to push the democratic movement forward", the Democratic Party will continue to offer Hong Kong people a better tomorrow.

During the past seven weeks of electioneering, I have listened to public opinion carefully. I remember by heart every single opinion that you have given the Democratic Party. I understand there are still shortcomings of the Democratic Party, however, I guarantee every effort will be made to address the following four issues:

1. Strengthening communication with the Central Government
2. Preparing for the next election for the Chief Executive by uniting different sectors of society
3. Carrying out higher-quality research into government policies
4. Getting to know more people from different sectors, and listening to their opinions, so as to enhance the quality of the policies of the Democratic Party

"Where there's a will, there's a way." The members of the democratic camp are striving to achieve universal suffrage today; so that we can tell the next generation with perfect confidence that, through their dreams and efforts, every child with an ordinary background will have the chance to become the Chief Executive when he / she grows up.

We have given our best during this election, in order to make it different from the one held three years ago. Although we could not turn the tide at the end, my friends, colleagues, Democratic Party members and I have all performed our duties with the greatest effort.

The Democratic Party Chairman Lee Wing Tat