Benny Tai on the Non-Establishment Camp Winning Half the Seats in the September Election

"Can opposition groups reach the halfway mark in LegCo?"
SC Yeung
HK Economic Journal
3 February 2016

The landslide opposition victory in Taiwan elections last month has fueled hope among Hong Kong democrats that they can bag at least half of the seats in the city’s legislature in polls later this year.

     If all the opposition groups work closely, it is possible that the democratic camp can cross the halfway mark in the 70-member Legislative Council and be in a stronger position to challenge the government on various issues, they reckon.  Well, it is a good thing to have mighty ambitions but how realistic is that dream actually?

     According to Benny Tai, the Hong Kong University law professor who co-founded the 2014 Occupy Central movement, pan-democrats can give the 35-seat mark a try if all non-establishment groups work closely to form an opposition alliance and conduct a coordinated campaign.

     Winning 35 seats may be difficult but is not impossible, Tai says, following an analysis of previous election data in the city and the Taiwan polls last month... Click here to read the full article. See other reports in the SCMP and RTHK (radio interview).