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Donald Tsang
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Tsang vows to shed elitist approach and listen to the people

Donald Tsang

Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen has conceded that his 'elitist approach' to governing the city should change, and has promised to be more sensitive to the needs of the people.

Mr Tsang, who won a second five-year term in office in last Sunday's Election Committee poll, said he had learned from his election campaigning that he had to give the public a chance to 'reject' him.

Mr Tsang, 62, who has worked in the civil service for 40 years, said he had become accustomed to the bureaucratic way of dealing with public opinion, which he said was the result of an 'elitist training'.

'During my long career in the civil service ... I was driven by conviction that we were guardians of Hong Kong's interests.

'Without admitting it, we prided ourselves on our superior competence and judgment,' Mr Tsang said on RTHK's Hong Kong Letter radio programme.

'This elitist confidence, however, might easily turn into complacency, leading us to believe that everything is under our control because we know best. When criticised, we hardly asked ourselves why we became so insensitive to the needs of our people,' said Mr Tsang.

He added that, through his preparations for the election debates with his challenger, the Civic Party's Alan Leong Kah-kit, he came to understand that he had to be 'ready for criticism or even irrational political attacks' and that 'I must give the public a chance to reject me'.

Government officials were used to considering themselves as elite, Mr Tsang said.

'They formalised decisions behind closed doors and told the public, 'We have made the best choice for you, so there is no need for further discussion'. I know it is time to change this mindset,' Mr Tsang said on the programme.

Mr Tsang touched on a similar subject during an election rally, when he promised his supporters that he would adjust his governance and take people's views into account to a greater degree than before when formulating policies.

During his term as chief executive over the past two years, strong public opposition has forced his administration into climbdowns including the withdrawal of plans for the West Kowloon Cultural District project and to consultation on a sales tax. Even his one major legislative success - getting the Legislative Council's approval for a new government headquarters in Tamar - is mired in criticism and controversy.

Legislator Albert Chan Wai-yip of the League of Social Democrats remained sceptical.

'Let's wait and see if it is empty talk or not. We all know well that he must take orders from Beijing. There is no need for him to listen to the people of Hong Kong,' said Mr Chan.

James Sung Lap-kung, a political commentator at City University, said Mr Tsang might need to clarify whether his new approach meant a departure from the 'strong governance' he had previously been advocating.

'Beijing may not be happy if Mr Tsang acts only according to public opinion,' said Professor Sung.

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