CHINA: With Hong Kong democrats failing to pull off a landslide victory in legislative elections, Beijing is breathing a sigh of relief after a colourful campaign featuring a nude candidate jailed after a vice raid, bully-boy tactics against a top radio and even a long-haired Marxist chasing a liberal politician with a banana. Clifford Coonan reports
What emerged clearly from Hong Kong's third poll since becoming part of China in 1997 was that the residents of this former British colony, currently at the mercy of Beijing, are determined to have a say in their political future.
Hong Kong's elections are the closest thing to democracy in China, but, despite modest gains, the pro-democracy camp failed to win enough seats in Sunday's poll to really press their demands for universal suffrage in the territory.
Still, the record turnout of nearly 56 per cent - high for a territory with no real democratic tradition - was read as a sign of democratic vibrancy in the territory.
In an undemocratic relic of the colonial era, just half of the 60 seats are directly elected, and democrats won 18 of those 30 seats.
They won seven of the other 30 seats, which are picked by special interest groups such as business leaders, doctors and lawyers, who traditionally tend to back Beijing.
The Beijing camp took 34, unchanged, the democrats gained three to 25 and independents won one, down from four.
Overall, the result was a relief for the central government in Beijing. The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said the results showed the city's people were "masters of their own house". It did not comment on the modest pro-democracy gains.
Hong Kong has been a constant source of irritation and Chinese leaders had worried that Hong Kong's government might find itself paralysed if the pro-democracy camp had secured a majority, but the result was nowhere close to that.
Sentiment has turned against Hong Kong's unpopular chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, and the Beijing government since the mainland communist leadership ruled out the prosepect of universal suffrage for the territory in 2007, crushing hopes for more democracy anytime soon.
The decision prompted about half a million people to demonstrate on July 1st for more democracy. The prospect of people marching on the streets is one of the Chinese communist party's greatest fears.
Yet with Hong Kong's economic well-being intimately tied to mainland China's, many voters shied away from confrontation.
The pro-democracy camp resumed its criticism of the electoral system, which is similar to the corporatist, functional constituency system used by Benito Mussolini in Italy in the 1930s.
Added to this is the complicated system of proportional representation, veteran campaigner for democracy Martin Lee pointed out.
"I am disappointed. It shows how unacceptable the electoral system is," said Mr Lee, ex-chairman of the Democratic Party.
The Democratic Party acknowledged it had been harmed by the sleaze surrounding two of its candidates during the campaign - one of them is still locked up in southern China after allegedly hiring a prostitute.
Even so, "the election demonstrated that Hong Kong's voters are irrepressible", said analyst Christine Loh.
"Out of 3.207 million registered voters, a total of 1.784 million voted, representing a turnout of 55.6 per cent, the highest both in numbers and percentage in Hong Kong's history," she said.
Analyst Chris Yeung wrote in the South China Morning Post: "The election is unlikely to persuade Beijing to have a change of heart on universal suffrage. Nor is it likely to drastically alter the balance of power in the new Legco" or legislative council.
"Nevertheless, once the dust settles, an increasingly assertive and sensible populace will reveal itself, one which aspires to see change and which knows it can bring about that change," Mr Yeung wrote.
Seasoned Hong Kong watchers gasped in disbelief as maverick Marxist Leung "Longhair" Kwok-hung, Hong Kong's top protester, won a seat.
On the day of the election, "Longhair" - who sports a waist-length ponytail - challenged James Tien, head of the pro-government Liberal Party, with a banana, asking him if he knew where to buy the cheapest bananas in town. Mr Tien, a moneyed, genteel figure, backed away without replying.
"Just call me Longhair - no need to call me Legislator Longhair," Mr Leung said after his election before heading off to demonstrate outside government offices in a trademark Che Guevara T-shirt.
Another big winner was outspoken former radio host Albert Cheng, who went off the air in May saying he'd been threatened and his office smeared with red paint by shadowy pro-Beijing forces - one of the biggest controversies in the campaign.
Mr Cheng should also annoy the government if his style as a legislator is anything like his shock jock style, honed to perfection on his Teacup in a Storm radio show, where he often ambushed government officials on air and forced them into awkward debates.
There was controversy even before the results were tallied. Polling stations ran short of ballot boxes, prompting some angry people to give up rather than wait to cast their vote.
To win over voters in the city of seven million, Beijing has expanded incentives for China-Hong Kong business and staged publicity stunts, such as bringing Buddha's finger to Hong Kong and having 50 Olympic gold medallists stage a celebration tour. Signs are its carrot-and-stick approach may have worked modestly well.