Hong Kong Democrats May Challenge Election of Leung, SCMP Says

Hong Kong’s Democratic Party plans to ask the High Court to allow it to challenge the election of Leung Chun-ying as the city’s new leader because he misled the public about illegal structures at his home during his campaign, the South China Morning Post reported today, citing Albert Ho, the party’s chairman.

The party will ask the court to allow it to file an election petition, a judicial review, or both, Ho said, according to the report. In terms of the city’s laws, a petition needs to be submitted within seven days of the election result being declared, and a judicial review in fewer than 30 days, the report said. The winner of the poll was announced on March 25.

The court may use discretion to accept late requests, Ho said, according to the Morning Post.

The city’s Building Department last week found five unauthorized structures at Leung’s house, the government said in a June 22 statement. The chief executive-elect, who will take office July 1, said yesterday that he was “disappointed in himself” and was unaware that the structures were illegal.

To contact the reporter on this story: Marco Lui in Hong Kong at mlui11@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Stanley James at sjames8@bloomberg.net

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March 27 (Bloomberg) -- Anson Chan, Hong Kong’s former top civil servant, talks about Leung Chun-ying's election as the city's next chief executive. Leung, 57, will help shape the city’s economy and relationship with China through 2017, when Beijing has pledged to allow Hong Kong to elect its own leaders. Chan speaks with Susan Li on Bloomberg Television's "First Up." (Source: Bloomberg)