IT seems that Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Nicholas Ng Wing-fui is having an easier time than his predecessor Michael Sze Cho-cheung, since the Sino-British battlefield switched from electoral matters to other business, such as the sewage scheme and the handover of information on civil servants. At least he has yet to be openly attacked by Chinese officials.
But it does not mean all will be smooth sailing. If anything, it looks like a huge wave is about to come crashing over him.
The low-profile official has already run into problems ensuring the biggest political event of the year - September's Legislative Council polls - are a success.
It is largely because the polls - for both the directly elected seats and the indirectly elected seats in the nine new functional constituencies, a product of Governor Chris Patten's political reforms - are to be held on the same day. With many voters eligible for both sets of elections, there is bound to be confusion among voters and even candidates.
Mr Ng's branch is now drafting regulations for polls that will need a great deal of explanation if they are to be a success.
The first hurdle Mr Ng has to overcome is how to make sure that eligible voters register. Efforts have been made, as the frequent public service announcements on television attest, to explain the nature of the polls. But since the election mainly involves workers, its success could depend on how employers respond to voter registration.
The problem is that Hong Kong is still an economy largely dependent on small firms with employers who are unlikely to encourage their workers to participate fully in the elections.
