[Donald Tsang] is not the only one trying to stamp out [Alan Leong Kah]'s ambitions, however modest they may be. During recent weeks, senior Beijing government officials and some of Hong Kong's richest men have dismissed Leong's candidacy as a waste of time. Billionaire casino tycoon Stanley Ho Hung-sun told a local newspaper that Leong had no chance of victory. "Absolutely not. Zero. Duck egg," he said.

Leong -- dubbed "Pocket Square Leong" due to his use of a pocket handkerchief with his suit jackets -- is a lawyer and former head of the Hong Kong Bar Association. Leong is said to be dull to the point of appearing half asleep when delivering speeches. He effectively conceded defeat at his campaign launch, saying: "It is of course a foregone conclusion -- Donald Tsang will be elected and will hold office for another five years."

While China has opened its economy and rapidly modernized itself in almost every way, political reform remains firmly off the agenda. Even Hong Kong's limited democracy is an uncomfortable fit in a nation where the Communist party still rules supreme. Every vote Leong receives will be seen by some as a rejection of Beijing's agenda for Hong Kong and an embarrassment to the Communist party.