Tsang talks but Beijing has final say

Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam- kuen and his political lieutenants continued their roadshow, taking to the streets again to drum up greater support for the 2012 electoral proposal.

Tsang is trying his best to exorcise the curse that even though public opinion polls have consistently shown majority support for the proposed reform package, diehard opposition lawmakers are determined to ignore what most people want.

The chief executive hopes that by reaching out to the masses, the public can become a force strong enough to change the minds of at least a few to vote for the package at the critical moment.

It's clear Tsang is keen to engage the public to spread the message. He opted to do it quietly the first time, so that he could talk to the people freely wherever he went. This unpublicized approach angered political foes and the media. The open-top bus tours a week ago attracted scathing attacks as they were kept hush- hush until after the tours were finished.

Yesterday's outings were different - the government gave the timetable and roadmap of activities in order for the media to deploy reporters and photographers. The chief executive, chief secretary and financial secretary were to lead three different teams on Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories at 3pm. Itinerary details were announced to the press shortly before 1pm.

The advance notice was accommodating to the media, but it also allowed protesters to lay in waiting for the officials. Some suggested the League of Social Democrats somehow obtained the itinerary and posted it on the internet for its supporters to go after the officials, hence yesterday's commotion.

As seen by many people, Tsang's "Act Now" campaign may be a show. But it also confirms the helplessness of his administration over the situation, since in the end, it's the central government that has the final say.

Self-contradiction is evident in the SAR government's latest tactics. On one hand, Tsang and senior officials, including Executive Council members, have been seeking to lower community expectations for the 2012 package by sounding pessimistic about the outcome of the legislative vote.

On the other hand, the chief executive and government officials have embarked on an unprecedented political exercise to raise expectations to press for a two-thirds majority result for the vote.

But I'm concerned about the downsides associated with the two- pronged approach that is contradictory. The warning of low - or even no - confidence in the vote may be tactical in managing public expectations. There are shortfalls that, should the reforms be rejected, there will be substantial backlash from raised public expectations charged up by the campaign. Time is truly pressing. The vote will likely be held in a few weeks. Yet, everybody in town, including those in the SAR government, Democratic Party and Central Government's Liaison Office, is waiting for word from Beijing.

Meanwhile, it's still best to let society focus on striving to pass the proposals.

英文虎報 - Central Station | By Mary Ma