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SCMP Reporter

Mr Tien characterised Ronald Arculli's no-confidence vote walkout as a thorn that he wanted to see removed quickly.

 Some Liberal Party members were unhappy about the gesture but Mr Tien said after a party briefing yesterday - which Mr Arculli failed to attend - that he had overcome their grievances.

 'But it might turn out better after a week and even better after a month,' Mr Tien said. 'I hope that the thorn . . . will be removed as soon as possible.'  Members had decided to deal with the matter in a low-profile manner, he said, ruling out disciplinary action against Mr Arculli.

 'We would tell Ron that the matter has embarrassed many of us. But I understand very much his feelings,' Mr Tien said.

 He noted that all 10 legislators, including Mr Arculli, had agreed at a lunch on March 10 that they would abstain in the no-confidence motion.

 'Although he had said that he might not be there, my understanding of that phrase was not that he would walk out from the Legco chamber after his speech,' Mr Tien said.

 Mr Tien gave the party members, including those from the provisional district boards and provisional urban council, a full account of the issue.

 Mr Arculli had had lunch with the other nine party legislators yesterday, Mr Tien said. 'He had promised that he would appear for the briefing after seeing the doctor. I believed that's the truth,' Mr Tien said.

 Only seven members turned up at the briefing, attended by seven legislators.

 Among them were Eastern District Board member Alice Lam Chui-lin, Kwun Tong District Board member Lui Chi-wah, provisional urban councillor Ringo Chiang Sai-cheong, and the party's central committee member Edward Chow Kwong-fai.

 Mr Tien was asked how the party would improve its image following the about-turn. He said: 'I would not deny that there is a problem.

 'Perhaps politics has all along not been my forte,' Mr Tien added.

 On the district council polls in November, Mr Tien said: 'We will focus on our strengths in the coming six months. So far, I haven't heard of any members at district level saying that they were very worried because the public or the media had a very bad impression of the party because of the incident.

 'On the contrary, you can say we are lucky that it was not so close to the elections.'  Last night, Mr Arculli's legislative aide dismissed suggestions that he had tried to avoid the meeting with Mr Tien and other members.

 The aide said a doctor had advised his boss to rest.

 According to party member Howard Young, Mr Arculli, who chaired three sessions of special Finance Committee meetings on the Budget in the morning, is suffering from a bad back.



Tien hopes to remove thorn over walkout