Tsang to join July 1 march of loyalists
Donald Tsang Yam-kuen for the first time will join mainland government officials at the head of a parade organised by Beijing loyalists to celebrate the 12th anniversary of the handover on July 1, in a move described as a slap in the face for the pro-democracy movement.
The decision by the chief executive to join the 40,000-strong march was described by a leading leftist as sharing 'the joy with the people' - but organisers of a pro-democracy march later in the day, which is expected to draw 100,000, urged him to share it with them too.
Announcing the details of the loyalists' annual parade, Federation of Trade Unions head Cheng Yiu-tong said Mr Tsang had agreed to join the march after officiating at the anniversary ceremony at Hong Kong Stadium. 'I have invited him and he has accepted the invitation to walk the walk among the masses to share the joy with the people,' Mr Cheng said.
The People's Liberation Army will walk too.
Mr Cheng said that in the past, senior officials usually left immediately after the ceremony. Last year, Mr Tsang did not attend the function, which was held in the Coliseum.
Mr Tsang will be marching with Peng Qinghua , new director of the central government's liaison office, and Lu Xinhua, commissioner of the Foreign Ministry's office in Hong Kong. The trio would march 'a short distance' when the parade headed towards Wan Chai, Mr Cheng said. Four ministers would also join.
Mr Cheng would not say whether Mr Tsang's participation was aimed at countering an expected strong turnout at the July 1 demonstration in the afternoon, which is expected to be boosted by dissatisfaction with the administration. But he admitted the government had room to improve. 'What is important is that Hong Kong people must have solidarity and maintain harmony,' he said.
A government source said Mr Tsang's participation was 'nothing special' as he often joined similar events such as The Community Chest's charity walkathons.
But unionist legislator Lee Cheuk-yan, an organiser of the pro-democracy demonstration, said he would send an invitation to Mr Tsang asking him to join the march in the afternoon to demonstrate his willingness to heed public demands. 'When the general public is angry with his failure in governance, Donald Tsang only wants to march with his friends. It is clearly a slap in the face for the people who will be marching for democracy,' he said.
Civil Human Rights Front co-convener Jackie Hung Ling-yu said Mr Tsang's move showed he was only interested in receiving applause.
The turnout at the pro-democracy demonstration is seen as a barometer of anti-government sentiment.
A source close to Beijing said that the stronger the action of the public against the government, the less likely it was that the central government would agree to a constitutional reform proposal allowing significant progress for democratisation in 2012.
