About-turn? DAB veteran Tam Yiu-chung tipped to become next president of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council
Pro-Beijing lawmaker who planned to retire could now succeed outgoing Jasper Tsang Yok-sing
A veteran pro-Beijing lawmaker who had been planning to retire looks set to seek re-election in September and even become the next Legco president.
Tam Yiu-chung, a former chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong , has emerged as the best choice – or the least unacceptable to pan-democrats – to succeed the outgoing Jasper Tsang Yok-sing.
Since the handover, the key position has been taken up by lawmakers generally regarded as moderates in the pro-establishment camp, acceptable to most pan-democratic groups.
Tsang is also an ex-chairman of the DAB, considered Beijing’s most-trusted political party in the city. He will retire and focus his energy on a think tank he set up.
The name of Tam, who first entered the legislature in 1985, was floated by Christopher Cheung Wah-fung, a Business and Professionals Alliance lawmaker, when he met the media at a Lunar New Year gathering.
Asked about a possible successor to Tsang, Cheung first spoke about fellow BPA lawmaker Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen, who as the Legislative Council’s house committee chairman assumed Tsang’s presidency seat whenever he was unavailable.
Praising Leung as someone who “dared confront pan-democrats”, Cheung added: “But I might offend Mr Tam by saying so.”
Tsang said just four months ago he would retire along with other DAB veterans including Tam, Ip Kwok-him and Chan Kam-lam.
The DAB’s 41-year-old leader, Starry Lee Wai-king, told the South China Morning Post that Tam, 66, would be a good choice as Legco president.
“Mr Tam is capable and has worked well in coordinating cross-party work,” she said. “If Tam is willing, I believe he will win the support of all pro-establishment groups.”
Tam could not be reached for comment yesterday.
On the pro-democratic side, Civic Party’s Alan Leong Kah-kit said he had heard a rumour linking Tam with the presidency about six months ago.
“This is not news to me,” Leong said. “Rumour had it that Tam had wanted to retire but the central government wanted him to be the next president.”
“By elimination, there is no better choice,” Leong added.
Tam joined the colonial legislature in 1985 as a labour sector lawmaker. He was a member of the Executive Council from 1997 to 2002.
He said it was the worst setback in his political career when he and most other pro-establishment lawmakers walked out of the chamber during the voting of last year’s political reform bill, resulting in the Beijing-backed proposal being voted down.
