Thorough investigations must be conducted into the trouble-making Project Storm

　　The list of candidates for Benny Tai Yiu-ting's "Project Storm" was brought to light yesterday, which consists of pro-independence and localist elements and shows an undisguised plot to "seize power".This wakes up citizens.　　If this trickery could be put into practice and has its way, it is bound to cause serious damage to "one country two systems". Containing Project Storm is not only necessary for safeguarding a clean and fair election system, but also urgent for protecting citizens' own and fundamental interests.

　　The launch of Project Storm is by no means accidental, nor is it a so-called "privately-run project".　　It is a "power-seizing project" manipulated by foreign political forces behind the scene, with intervening Hong Kong's elections as the means and an attempt to jeopardise Hong Kong's existing constitutional order and achieve the goal of "regime change".　　It can be seen from objective facts in past four years, from the large-scale law-breaking Occupy Central, to the ThunderGo campaign two years ago and to his recent secessionist speeches, what Benny Tai does as an agent of foreign political forces is eroding the foundation of Hong Kong's prosperity and stability step by step.

　　 But it must be pointed out that both ThunderGo and Project Storm are shadowy political trickeries, wrapped up with magnificent political slogans as they are, and suspiciously violate Hong Kong's effective regulations governing elections.　　Authorities should conduct thorough investigations from three approaches.

　　First of all, does the so-called "election coordination" involve the use of coercion or promise of gain to induce a person to stand, or not to stand, as a candidate at the election?　　Taking the candidate list for Project Storm as an example, there are several dozen cases in which each of a number of trouble-making individuals intends to contest in more than one district.　　Does this mean some of them eventually have to give up?　　If so, will there be "exchange of interests"?　　Secondly, are the financial sources for the project legal?　　The trouble-making camp has never publicised the financial details for almost all political campaigns it launched in the past.　　Although no compulsory disclosure of such information is required by effective laws and regulations, if "money laundering" is involved it obviously violates relevant laws.In fact, ThunderGo and Project Storm need to make "coordination" among several hundred individuals intending to stand in the elections, the amount of money involved could be tens of millions of dollars.　　So where does the money come from?　　Thirdly, do manipulated polls help produce unfair election results?　　Every time, Benny Tai always uses so-called opinion polls to achieve his goal.　　But at the most crucial moment during an election, a call for voters to cast their votes for or against certain candidates directly affect the results of the election.　　But are the source of data for his polls and the way such data are collected all "above board"?　　　　

　　At a Legislative Council (Legco) meeting yesterday to discussion issues concerning election arrangements, several lawmakers raised questions in this regard and demanded the government to conduct thorough investigations.　　In response, Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Andy Chan Shui-fu said they have received complaints and passed them to relevant law enforcement departments to follow up, and investigations are being conducted.　　The government will take action to enforce the law if there is evidence showing some activity affects the fairness of election.　　The government will also conduct a review on how to improve the election system.

　　What is involved now is not as simple as "different political views" but concerns such matters of principle as whether Hong Kong's election system remains clean and fair, and whether "one country two systems" can be smoothly implemented.　　No slight ambiguity is allowed in this regard.　　Seeing his plot was exposed yesterday, Benny Tai resorted to argue that the list of candidates was not from his Project Storm.　　This exactly shows his regular style of "daring to do but not daring to bear the responsibility".　　But actions speak louder than words, Benny Tai has played a key role in pushing pro-independence elements to run elections, fostering extreme localists to engage in community activities and inciting young people to break laws and become antagonist.　　With thorough investigations underway into unlawful activities, Benny Tai has nowhere to hide.

22 May 2018