A total of 907 candidates submitted their nominations for 401 seats in 18 districts, but with 41 returned unopposed, 866 candidates will be battling for the remaining 364 seats. There are a total of 2.96 million registered voters in the 18 districts and all parties are hoping for a record turnout.

The pan-democratic camp has entered more than 200 candidates but realized it will be an uphill struggle to capture the 120 seats it got in 2003 when anti-government sentiment was at its height.

ADVERTISEMENT

The pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong has entered 177 candidates, aiming for at least 83 seats, while the Liberal Party has 56 candidates and hopes to get more than the dozen elected seats it now has.

Democratic Party chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan said on Friday the competition this time around is "really fierce."

He added: "It is hard to predict to what extent the issue of universal suffrage will make a difference though I strongly believe it will have some impact.

"If we lose very badly or fail to secure our incumbent seats, it is bound to affect next year's Legislative Council election."

Ho said unlike 2003, the people's political aspirations had been mellowed by the booming stock market and the economic boom.

He said he hoped the decision of Hong Kong's former No2 Anson Chan Fang On-sang to stand for the Legislative Council by-election on December 2 would whip up some enthusiasm though he admitted some veteran democratic candidates preferred to stand on their own district records.

DAB vice chairman Ip Kwok-him told The Standard he was confident the party would regain the grassroots dominance it held in 1999 by winning 83 seats, nine more than it had in 2003.

Ip blamed the 2003 loss on the party's support for the government. "The city's social atmosphere is now buoyant with the booming economy and with a strong and popular government, which should help the party."

Chan's main rival in December's by-election, former security chief Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, is expected to be out on Sunday campaigning for her Savantas Policy Institute's four district council candidates.

A source said it would be an opportunity for Ip to get more media publicity for the by-election, in which surveys have her lagging behind Chan.