THE FIRST time Tung Chee-hwa stood for Chief Executive, Beijing insisted he had to win the post through a contested selection process in 1996.
One which, even if it was scarcely a real election in the normal meaning of the term, at least bore some of the trappings of one. Mr Tung had to issue a manifesto and hit the campaign trail, visiting slum dwellers and - in his own words - doing everything 'short of kissing babies' to win the support of the electoral college charged with choosing the Chief Executive.
Most importantly, he faced real rivals. Then chief justice Yang Ti-liang was widely believed to have entered the race at least partly at the urging of locally based mainland officials. Tycoon Peter Woo Kwong-ching reportedly also received Beijing's blessing before throwing his hat into the ring.
Of course, neither ever stood any chance of success. But their enthusiastic campaigning did serve to confer more legitimacy on Mr Tung's eventual landslide, with 80 per cent of the college's votes. It also served another purpose for Beijing, by showing that its promise of 'one country, two systems' was more than mere rhetoric.
Contrast that contested selection in 1996 with what is likely to happen when Mr Tung stands for the post again next March. Despite vigorous protests from the democratic camp in the Legislative Council last week, the SAR Government seems determined to ensure that the Chief Executive Election Bill - now wending its way towards the statute books - maximises the chances of him being returned unopposed.
It stacks the odds against any challengers by requiring them to obtain nominations from 100 of the 800-member Election Committee that will choose the Chief Executive. And it controversially stipulates the names of these nominators will be made public, so revealing their opposition to Mr Tung.
As mainland leaders have made clear their strong support for Mr Tung serving a second term, it is unlikely many in this predominantly conservative body would be willing to publicly defy Beijing's wishes by doing this. Recently China has even dropped hints it would rather see him returned unopposed, with Vice-Premier Qian Qichen saying in March that he couldn't see any other candidates.
