Parties will ensure soccer fever won't mar Tamar vote

Major political parties will make sure the distraction of the World Cup will not stop their legislators from turning up to vote on funding for the Tamar project, despite the likelihood of overwhelming support for the proposal.

The $5.1 billion plan to relocate government headquarters to the Central waterfront site is almost certain to be endorsed by the Finance Committee on June 23 after it won a landslide victory of 16 to 2 votes in the public works subcommittee two weeks ago.

Of the 50 legislators contacted by the South China Morning Post, 39 members will vote in favour of the project, with 10 opposing it and one abstaining.

Funding for the project will be secured if a majority of those attending the meeting support the project.

But the government is concerned that the last four matches of the World Cup group stage on June 23 will distract the legislators. Some lawmakers said they had been asked if they would be out of town by officials.

Liberal Party chairman James Tien Pei-chun said his party would try to make sure all of its 10 legislators attended the meeting, while Tam Yiu-chung, vice-chairman of the Democratic Alliance for Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said his party would do the same.

'Officials can rest assured because, really, the government will certainly have enough support to get the funding passed because all three major parties are supporting the government on Tamar,' Mr Tam said.