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DAB wary of any poll bid, says Legco chief

Potential chief executive contender Tsang Yok-sing said yesterday there were reservations among pro-establishment political groups about his bid and that progress in seeking nominations was slow.

'There were voices from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong expressing concerns that my participation in the chief executive race might not be favourable to the party's development,' the Legislative Council president said. Members of the pro-Beijing Federation of Trade Unions had aired similar views, he said.

Tsang - the founding chairman of the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong - said on Friday that he was 'seriously considering' a run after seeing what he called 'a dramatic turn in the chief executive election'.

He later said it was 'the most important decision' in his life, and promised to make a decision early this week.

On Monday, he said he was considering running because the race for the job 'was not developing as most Hong Kong people wanted to see'. Rather than debates about policy, the recent 'smear campaigns' - such as the controversy around Leung Chun-ying about a possible conflict of interest linked to the West Kowloon cultural hub - could have 'a negative effect on the preparation for a democratic election in future'.

He said yesterday that he would discuss his bid with DAB leaders.

'I am aware of analysis saying that my participation in the top job race would trigger a so-called 'pendulum effect', which would be unfavourable for the DAB,' Tsang said.

He said there was concern of a public backlash, given the pro-establishment camp's landslide victory in district council elections last November, when the DAB and FTU won 147 seats to the pan-democrats' 83.

'If I am competing for the top job and the DAB also wins more seats in the Legco election in September, would it give the public an impression that the DAB is monopolising [political influence]?' Tsang said.

FTU president Cheng Yiu-tong said on Monday that it would be 'operationally impossible' for Tsang to come up with a feasible policy platform to engage the public and the Election Committee members before the nomination period closed next Wednesday.

Pan-democrat candidate Albert Ho Chun-yan - who is running to try to address what he says is the unfairness and injustice of the 'small-circle election' - said yesterday he would not encourage Tsang or any other pro-establishment candidates to be a part of the race.

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