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Negative feelings about the Government are increasing, according to a poll conducted to mark the second anniversary of the handover.

 The survey found a rise in such feelings and a belief there had been 'significant changes' in society in the past two years.

 One-third of the respondents either felt 'quite negative' or 'very negative' about the Tung administration. The corresponding figure in a survey conducted in June last year was 28 per cent.

 Eighteen per cent were very positive or quite positive, down from 19.3 per cent last year.

  The poll, carried out by the University of Hong Kong's social sciences research centre on June 21, showed 58 per cent thought there had been significant changes since the changeover, up from 45 per cent last year.

 Only 7.6 per cent chose positive words such as 'happy' or 'excited' to describe their feelings about the anniversary, down from 9.2 per cent last year. About one-fifth said they were worried or afraid, and nearly 60 per cent had no special feelings.

 Public perceptions of Beijing had improved, the poll of 526 people showed. About 28 per cent said their feelings were positive, up from 18 per cent last year.

 In a report to mark the anniversary, Tung Chee-hwa said he had faced major challenges over the past two years - implementing the 'one country, two systems' policy and the economic turmoil.

 He said the worst of the turmoil was over and Hong Kong had made some difficult but necessary moves in the past 18 months to combat short-term economic woes.

 Visiting Vice-President Hu Jintao told officials at Government House last night it was inevitable new situations and new problems would crop up under the 'one country, two systems' policy.

 And he defended the National People's Congress Standing Committee's overturning of the Court of Final Appeal's right of abode ruling.

 '[It] does not affect the SAR's independent judicial power and power of final adjudication, but safeguards its rule of law.'  He said it was a 'consistent stand of the NPC and the Central Government to safeguard Hong Kong's rule of law' and that stance would not change in the future.

 Hours before, more than 600 lawyers dressed in black staged a silent protest against the reinterpretation. It was followed by a candlelit rally by a pro-democracy group.

 Earlier, Mr Hu told a group of mainland representatives the 'one country, two systems policy' was a long-running matter and 'two years is just the first step in the long march'.

 Mr Hu will attend a flag-raising ceremony and unveil the Reunification Monument this morning in low-key celebrations of the anniversary soured by the right of abode row.

 He will return to Beijing in the afternoon.



Public gloom at Tung regime on rise