AN ELECTION with a single candidate is one of the dullest events known to man. So we must thank the sole candidate in the election for Chief Executive, Tung Chee-hwa, for introducing a moment of excitement in an otherwise predictable campaign.
The election came alive, even if only briefly, when the normally mild-mannered Mr Tung waded into Martin Lee Chu-ming of the Democrats at a question-and-answer session at the Legislative Council, berating him for bad-mouthing Hong Kong.
In other parts of the world, this kind of thrust and parry between political opponents is the normal stuff of electioneering. Here, it seemed revolutionary.
Mr Lee, no slouch when it comes to saying what he thinks of the Chief Executive, was clearly taken aback by the ferocity of the counterattack, saying he and his party had a duty to criticise the Government on behalf of the people.
The interesting question is whether the combative Mr Tung we saw at Legco is going to be the new second-term Mr Tung. Are we going to get a more forceful Chief Executive, more self-assured and more comfortable wielding authority than he was in his first term?
This appears to be the case. Part of the reason for unveiling this new combative mode seems to be that Mr Tung's campaign managers are getting feedback from the public that they want to see a more assertive Chief Executive in the second term. 'There's no need to be nice any more, just get on with the job,' seems to be the message.
Mr Tung's aides say that this is part of the evolution of their boss' leadership towards a more pro-active style of governance, and say that this change has been in the making for some time now. If so, we would clearly see a Mr Tung who is willing to confront his detractors, especially in Legco, more openly.