Being a politician, I would of course like you to vote Green. If you are voting for me because I am Chinese, that's great. Even better if you want to vote Green because you believe in what the Green Party says about how people should live in harmony with each other and equally importantly, about the quality of the planet we leave our children and grand children. About affordable homes, support for small businesses and green transport for example.

There are three good reasons for Chinese people to voting. 

• Firstly if Chinese people have a reputation for not voting politicians will be less inclined to listen to the Chinese community when it comes to election time. To put it crudely, politicians can treat Chinese people like children when it comes to elections. They need to be aware of their needs but do not need to go out of their way to win their vote. 

• Secondly, it is our civic duty to vote. Representative democracies like that in the UK is far from perfect, but alternatives like dictatorships are far worse. If you don't vote can you complain if your elected representatives do something you do not like?

• Finally, the Chinese are here to stay and we should be represented in all walks of life including politics. If we do not vote, we could find ourselves represented by people we do not want. Even for example the BNP, who definitely do not have the good of the Chinese and other ethnic minorities in mind.

How to vote in the London election

This election a bit complicated because you have three ballot papers.

The first is for the constituency candidate where you should put a cross in the box next to the person you want to vote for. The person with the most votes wins this ballot.

The final one is for the Mayor where you will be putting a cross for your first choice candidate and another cross for your second choice.

As far as the Mayor vote is concerned, the main candidates are Sian Berry for the Greens, Brian Piddick for the Lib Dems, Ken Livingston for Labour and Boris Johnson for the Conservatives.

Opinion polls show that the leading candidates are Ken Livingston or Boris Johnson, but that they are not expected to get over 50% of the first choice votes so there will be a second count. This means that voters can show which party they really like with their first choice and their second choice will also count to help another candidate get elected or help stop a candidate they do not want to be elected.

Chit Chong
Green Party Speaker for Future Generations and London Assembly List Candidate

 

Comments

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Anonymous Posted 21:04 on 24 April 2008 Thanks for coming forward and reaching out to the wider chinese community, I feel the chinese community needs more voices and role models like yourself; someone who can articulate and stand-up for their social needs and concerns. Whether that occurs for real is of course an entirely different question. I will vote anyway, once again thanks. Reply | Quote

Obi Kwan - Voting Posted 12:55 on 30 April 2008 It is our civic duty to vote. People shouldn't complain about their circumstances if they don't vote. We need to be heard - our voice is too insular and our community is too silent on all too important issues (equal rights/health/the environment/education) that effect us. Reply | Quote

Anonymous Posted 20:33 on 30 April 2008 Err... I think people have the right to complain particularly if things are genuinely not right, its more about being bothered to pursue it. It has little bearing whether one votes or not. Still i will vote, it will a toss up between the main three, and greens are the mix now i read the above piece Reply | Quote

Jeff Minter Posted 16:40 on 3 May 2008 Well, the semi-racist buffoon has won (remember his speech on the natives when he went to South East Asia a while ago) - and the BNP has a seat in the London Assembly. Good luck London. Reply | Quote

anon - disillusioned Posted 19:23 on 6 May 2008 I m not sure what to think about voting now and giving chinese representation a real voice, no disrepsect to the all those genuine descent people who want to help the community etc, what was all that palavar of getting the chinese to vote mean when this happens Reply | Quote

anon - typos Posted 20:12 on 7 May 2008 sorry i meant "Decent" not "descent", its not a Freudian slip i promise. Reply | Quote

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