Several dozen protesters inside the voting venue erupted in jeers and stood on chairs as the result was announced that Leung Chun-ying would be the next leader.
“We want direct elections immediately,” they chanted.
Outside, up to 2,000 protesters, some of whom had camped out overnight, yelled slogans and waved banners to show their anger at being denied a voice. “Leung Chun-ying resign, Leung Chun-ying resign,” they yelled.
Many spun colourful little flying discs into the air to symbolise a need to fling off such “small circle” polls.
Many dismayed residents demanded a fresh election with new candidates. Underlining their frustration, most of more than 200,000 people surveyed said they would abstain if given the chance to vote, according to a University of Hong Kong poll.
“This is the most blatant interference by Beijing into the domestic affairs of Hong Kong ... causing damage to the one country, two systems policy,” said Democratic Party chairman Albert Ho, who also stood for election but won only 76 votes.
Hong Kong was promised a high degree of autonomy when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a “one country, two systems” formula with a promise of full democracy as an “ultimate aim”.
Though that has not been achieved, it remains a beacon of democratic reform and civil liberties in China, which wants to see the self-ruled island of Taiwan reunited with the mainland, perhaps under a similar formula.
The election committee, filled with business professionals, tycoons and Beijing loyalists, selected Leung with 689 of 1,132 votes cast as successor to the bow tie-wearing Donald Tsang, who cannot stand again. Tang, Leung’s main rival, got 285 votes.
“For this election, everyone feels the influence of Beijing is very heavy,” said political analyst Johnny Lau, speaking inside the harbour-front convention centre where the vote was held.
“(Leung) has created an aura of being a Chinese emperor that will make it more difficult to lead politically.”
“This election has caused great divisions. His ability to gather public support will be quite weak because these frustrations have accumulated over many years.”
