The Democrats yesterday said they were still hopeful of establishing good working relations with Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa. But the party vowed not to tone down its comments against the anti-subversion law when former leader Martin Lee Chu-ming visits the United States again next week. Mr Tung, speaking at Legco question time last week, accused Mr Lee of bad-mouthing Hong Kong overseas for six years. He also attacked the pro-democracy camp for criticising without making a constructive contribution. Democrats chairman Yeung Sum said the party wanted to be a 'pro-active opposition party'' that could have working relations with the chief executive. He said he still wanted a meeting with Mr Tung, although a request he made in April was greeted with a one-line reply from Mr Tung's office saying the proposal would be considered. Dr Yeung, who is eager to mend fences with Mr Tung since taking over from Mr Lee last December, said he remained optimistic that the party would break the ice later. 'Politics is politics. I still believe that opportunity will arise in light of new circumstances.' He said an unpublished survey by the party showed that the public wanted to see the Democrats establish a working relationship with Mr Tung. But he declined to give details of the figures. Dr Yeung, however, rejected Mr Tung's claim that the party had not done much apart from criticise. A report card compiled by the party showed it had produced 16 policy papers for government reference and raised 210 questions and 46 motions in Legco over the past 2? years. The party has also put back its annual fund-raising for District Council elections to August to raise money for Sars victims. A total of $966,000 has been raised over the past four weeks. Dr Yeung said: 'It's unfair to say what we do is just bad-mouth Hong Kong. Mr Tung is smearing us.' Mr Lee and fellow Democrat James To Kun-sun are to update Freedom House, a non-partisan group in support of freedom and democracy worldwide, on the progress of the anti-subversion law next week in Washington. Dr Yeung said his colleagues would continue to tell the truth to the American audience. 'Martin is going to reflect the concerns of the bill as it is. I am not going to tell him to tone down his views.'
