Hong Kong's elite picks Leung as new leader A Hong Kong election committee named self-made billionaire Leung Chun-ying as the former British colony's new chief executive on Sunday. The policeman's son picked up 689 votes of the 1,132 ballots cast. Members of the committee are senior business leaders, politicians and academics. Leung, a former government adviser, is seen as being close to Beijing. His nearest rival, Henry Tang, got 285 votes. Tang was the early frontrunner but his campaign was hit by a string of scandals, including allegations of extra-marital affairs. The semi-autonomous region's seven million people have no say who takes in office. A third candidate who took 76 votes, Albert Ho, joined pro-democracy protesters after the announcement. Hong Kong reverted back to Chinese rule in 1997 after more than a century of British control. Beijing says direct elections could be held as early as 2017, but from a list of vetted candidates. More about: China, Hong Kong, Regional elections