Beijing should take its thumb off HK election scale

THE close of nominations this week moves the Hong Kong Chief Executive election campaign into its final and most crucial phase.

Hong Kong is fortunate to have effective individuals competing for the top job who have spent decades serving the public, in the government or in the judiciary. It is important that the choice is seen to be made by the electorate and their representatives rather than by Beijing. To be sure, the Chinese government has a major stake in the March 26 election too, but it is in its own best interests not to be seen as tilting the playing field.

Ten years ago, the Chinese government announced that the 2017 elections in Hong Kong "may be implemented by the method of universal suffrage". However, in 2014, it decided that candidates would have to be vetted by a nominating committee essentially dominated by Beijing. That is to say, Beijing would decide who could run, and voters would then choose among the candidates.