Cyd Ho
Encyclopedia
Cyd Ho Sau-lan is a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong
(LegCo) for the Hong Kong Island constituency.
Cyd Ho is a founding member of The Frontier
, a pro-democracy political group, and since 2006, founding councillor of the World Future Council
.
She has garnered a reputation for promoting universal suffrage, rule of law, human rights, and equal opportunity, as well as advancement in the interests of women, homosexuals and other minority groups.
, Canada
. She worked in the textile trading industry from 1979 to 1995.
during the election campaign, the first open direct election of LegCo in Hong Kong
. In 1993, she founded the liberal pressure group "United Ants" with other pro-democracy political activists. In 1995, she worked as an assistant to Margaret Ng
, a lawmaker representing the legal profession in LegCo. In 1996, along with other political activists, she founded The Frontier
.
She was elected a legislative councillor for the geographical constituency of New Territories East
in 1998 in the first LegCo election since the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the UK to China. She was re-elected in the c in 2000. She chaired bills committees such as the 2004 Education (Revised) Bill and the 2004 Examination Authority Bill, and was vice-chair of the panel on environmental affairs. She chaired the Sub-committee under the Home Affair Panel to study questions of discrimination based on sexual orientation between 2000 and 2004.
She was elected as a District Council
member of the Central and Western district via the Kwun Lung (觀龍) constituency in November 2003, unseating veteran Ip Kwok-him of the DAB
with a margin of 64 votes. She also supported members of other pro-democracy political groups such as Civic Act-up, which were also contesting seats in the Wanchai district council.
In 2004, she, together with James To Kun Sun, Frederick Fung Kin Kee, Wong Sing Chi
, Mak Kwok Fung, attempted to cross the border and meet Beijing
officials at Shenzhen
, to request for a faster pace of democratisation in Hong Kong.
system. There were four viable tickets running for election for the Hong Kong Island constituency. The left was represented by the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong
's ticket, consisting of Ma Lik
and Choy So-yuk; and the centrist ticket was represented by Rita Fan
.
The pan-democratic camp decided, after strategising, to put up two tickets for election: the Democratic Party
's ticket with Martin Lee
and Yeung Sum
, and Audrey Eu
and Cyd Ho's ticket. The thinking was that the remainder vote on both these tickets was sufficient in order to return all four candidates to office, providing that voters in the pan-democratic camp were coordinated effectively. Cyd Ho was defeated by a slim margin (815 out of a total of about 350 000, or 0.23%) to her nearest DAB rival, Choy So-yuk.
Originally, the slogan "1+1=4" was taken as a way to strategically allocate votes between the two pan-democratic camp tickets, namely that a spouse from each couple would vote for each ticket. Conspiracy theorists claim that, during the final days leading up to the election, the Democratic Party believed it could secure a seat for their third candidate, Lai Chi-Keung. The Democratic Party hence allegedly requested all supporters of the pan-democratic camp in the Hong Kong Island geographical constituency to vote for them, claiming that Audrey Eu's star presence on the other ticket was strong enough to skew votes to the other ticket.
In the end, Lai ended up a few hundred votes short of Cyd Ho, costing them both the chance for a seat. This ultimately benefited Cyd Ho's DAB rival Choy So-yuk. A number of disgruntled voters of the pan-democratic camp demanded that then-DP Chairman Yeung Sum and Founding Chairman Martin Lee Chu-ming both step down in consequence.
Some pointed out that Ho's support for legalizing gay marriage during the election campaign was a fatal blow, because her speech angered and had alienated a significant number of voters.
station MyRadio on Thursday night (2200-2300 HKT).
In 2006, she quit the Frontier and became the chairperson of the Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor
and the co-convener of Project Civil Referendum, a scheme to pilot and promote the idea of holding a referendum
in Hong Kong.
In 2007, due to the death of Ma Lik
vacating a Hong Kong Island Legislative Council seat, she originally decided to run in the by-election
, but later she rejected. Also, she gave up renewing the seat of the district council in order to prepare her participation in 2008 LegCo election.
. She finished with the fifth highest number of vote in the six-member constituency, 30,887, or 9.85%. Her running mate in 2004, Audrey Eu of the Civic Party, got 30,362.
Legislative Council of Hong Kong
The Legislative Council is the unicameral legislature of Hong Kong.-History:The Legislative Council of Hong Kong was set up in 1843 as a colonial legislature under British rule...
(LegCo) for the Hong Kong Island constituency.
Cyd Ho is a founding member of The Frontier
The Frontier (Hong Kong)
The Frontier was a relatively radical pro-democracy political group in the Hong Kong. It was established on 26 August 1996. The group was headed by former convenor Emily Lau Wai-hing since its establishment as a loose group of individual pro-democracy activists.On 23 November 2008, the Frontier...
, a pro-democracy political group, and since 2006, founding councillor of the World Future Council
World Future Council
The World Future Council is an independent body formally founded in Hamburg, Germany on 10 May 2007. "Formed to speak on behalf of policy solutions that serve the interests of future generations", it includes members active in governmental bodies, civil society, business, science and the arts...
.
She has garnered a reputation for promoting universal suffrage, rule of law, human rights, and equal opportunity, as well as advancement in the interests of women, homosexuals and other minority groups.
Education
Ho studied at the University of WaterlooUniversity of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. She worked in the textile trading industry from 1979 to 1995.
Career
In 1991, she helped Emily LauEmily Lau
Emily Lau Wai-hing JP is one of two vice-chairmen of Democratic Party.She was the convenor of The Frontier...
during the election campaign, the first open direct election of LegCo in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. In 1993, she founded the liberal pressure group "United Ants" with other pro-democracy political activists. In 1995, she worked as an assistant to Margaret Ng
Margaret Ng
Dr Margaret Ng Ngoi Yee is a politician, barrister, writer and columnist in Hong Kong. She has been a member of Legislative Council of Hong Kong since 1995....
, a lawmaker representing the legal profession in LegCo. In 1996, along with other political activists, she founded The Frontier
The Frontier (Hong Kong)
The Frontier was a relatively radical pro-democracy political group in the Hong Kong. It was established on 26 August 1996. The group was headed by former convenor Emily Lau Wai-hing since its establishment as a loose group of individual pro-democracy activists.On 23 November 2008, the Frontier...
.
She was elected a legislative councillor for the geographical constituency of New Territories East
New Territories East (constituency)
New Territories East , refers to the eastern part of New Territories in Hong Kong. It includes Sha Tin District, Tai Po District, North District and Sai Kung District. It is the second largest geographical constituency in the Legislative Council of Hong Kong...
in 1998 in the first LegCo election since the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the UK to China. She was re-elected in the c in 2000. She chaired bills committees such as the 2004 Education (Revised) Bill and the 2004 Examination Authority Bill, and was vice-chair of the panel on environmental affairs. She chaired the Sub-committee under the Home Affair Panel to study questions of discrimination based on sexual orientation between 2000 and 2004.
She was elected as a District Council
District Council of Hong Kong
The District Councils, formerly District Boards until 1999, are the local councils for the 18 Districts of Hong Kong. Under the supervision of Home Affairs Bureau of the Hong Kong Government, they are consultative bodies on district administration and affairs.- History :In 1982, under the...
member of the Central and Western district via the Kwun Lung (觀龍) constituency in November 2003, unseating veteran Ip Kwok-him of the DAB
Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong
Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong , formerly known as Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, is the largest pro-Beijing political party in Hong Kong...
with a margin of 64 votes. She also supported members of other pro-democracy political groups such as Civic Act-up, which were also contesting seats in the Wanchai district council.
In 2004, she, together with James To Kun Sun, Frederick Fung Kin Kee, Wong Sing Chi
Wong Sing Chi
Nelson Wong Sing-chi is a member of Legislative Council of Hong Kong, representing the New Territories East constituency, as well as a member of North District, Hong Kong Council. He is a member of the Hong Kong Democratic Party.Wong was first elected to LegCo in 2000, was defeated in 2004 due to...
, Mak Kwok Fung, attempted to cross the border and meet Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
officials at Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
, to request for a faster pace of democratisation in Hong Kong.
The 2004 Legco election
The 2004 Legislative Council election returned candidates to office based on a party-list proportional representationProportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
system. There were four viable tickets running for election for the Hong Kong Island constituency. The left was represented by the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong
Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong
Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong , formerly known as Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, is the largest pro-Beijing political party in Hong Kong...
's ticket, consisting of Ma Lik
Ma Lik
Ma Lik, GBS, JP , was a Legislative Councillor, and was the Chairman of the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong , a pro-Beijing political party in Hong Kong.-Education:...
and Choy So-yuk; and the centrist ticket was represented by Rita Fan
Rita Fan
Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai GBM GBS CBE JP was the President of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong after the transfer of sovereignty from the United Kingdom in 1997. She was the first woman to hold that position....
.
The pan-democratic camp decided, after strategising, to put up two tickets for election: the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Hong Kong)
The Democratic Party is a pro-democracy political party in Hong Kong. It was established on 2 October 1994. The party is currently the second largest party in the Legislative Council, headed by Chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan and, following the November 2008 merger with the Frontier, had around 745...
's ticket with Martin Lee
Martin Lee
Martin Lee , QC, SC, JP, was the founding chairman of the Democratic Party in Hong Kong. He was a directly-elected Member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong for the Hong Kong Island geographical constituency...
and Yeung Sum
Yeung Sum
Yeung Sum SBS JP is the second Chairman of the Democratic Party , a pro-democracy political party in Hong Kong. He is a lecturer in the University of Hong Kong. He was a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong.-Biography:...
, and Audrey Eu
Audrey Eu
Yuet Mee Audrey Eu , LLB, LLM, SC, JP is a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong and the former leader of the Civic Party.-Education and legal career:...
and Cyd Ho's ticket. The thinking was that the remainder vote on both these tickets was sufficient in order to return all four candidates to office, providing that voters in the pan-democratic camp were coordinated effectively. Cyd Ho was defeated by a slim margin (815 out of a total of about 350 000, or 0.23%) to her nearest DAB rival, Choy So-yuk.
Originally, the slogan "1+1=4" was taken as a way to strategically allocate votes between the two pan-democratic camp tickets, namely that a spouse from each couple would vote for each ticket. Conspiracy theorists claim that, during the final days leading up to the election, the Democratic Party believed it could secure a seat for their third candidate, Lai Chi-Keung. The Democratic Party hence allegedly requested all supporters of the pan-democratic camp in the Hong Kong Island geographical constituency to vote for them, claiming that Audrey Eu's star presence on the other ticket was strong enough to skew votes to the other ticket.
In the end, Lai ended up a few hundred votes short of Cyd Ho, costing them both the chance for a seat. This ultimately benefited Cyd Ho's DAB rival Choy So-yuk. A number of disgruntled voters of the pan-democratic camp demanded that then-DP Chairman Yeung Sum and Founding Chairman Martin Lee Chu-ming both step down in consequence.
Some pointed out that Ho's support for legalizing gay marriage during the election campaign was a fatal blow, because her speech angered and had alienated a significant number of voters.
Post-election
In addition to remaining as a key member of the Frontier until 2006, Ho hosted her own radio programmes on two local radio stations in 2006 - on RTHK every Tuesday evening and on PRHK every Wednesday night. She currently is hosting a radio show on the internet radioInternet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
station MyRadio on Thursday night (2200-2300 HKT).
In 2006, she quit the Frontier and became the chairperson of the Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor
Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor
Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor is a local non-governmental organization which was established in April 1995. It aims at promoting better human rights protection in Hong Kong in the aspect of legislation and people's everyday life....
and the co-convener of Project Civil Referendum, a scheme to pilot and promote the idea of holding a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
in Hong Kong.
In 2007, due to the death of Ma Lik
Ma Lik
Ma Lik, GBS, JP , was a Legislative Councillor, and was the Chairman of the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong , a pro-Beijing political party in Hong Kong.-Education:...
vacating a Hong Kong Island Legislative Council seat, she originally decided to run in the by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
, but later she rejected. Also, she gave up renewing the seat of the district council in order to prepare her participation in 2008 LegCo election.
2008 LegCo election
Ho stood for and was returned in the Hong Kong Island geographical constituency for the Hong Kong legislative election, 2008Hong Kong legislative election, 2008
The 2008 Hong Kong legislative election was held on 7 September 2008 for the 4th Legislative Council since the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. There are 60 seats in the 4th Council, with 30 Members elected by geographical constituencies through direct elections, and...
. She finished with the fifth highest number of vote in the six-member constituency, 30,887, or 9.85%. Her running mate in 2004, Audrey Eu of the Civic Party, got 30,362.