One of the enduring images of the district council elections was the sight of Tsang Yok-sing slumped in a chair looking stunned at the extent of his party's defeat.
Mr Tsang, who has led the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong since it was founded 11 years ago, had reason to be concerned. This was the DAB's biggest election setback. In keeping with his reputation as a man of principle, Mr Tsang offered his resignation. Tonight, the party's central committee will consider whether to accept. At stake is not only the question of who should lead the DAB, but also whether it should abandon its pro-government stance. The committee's decisions will have implications beyond the DAB - for Tung Chee-hwa's administration and the future of party politics.
At first glance it seems drastic change is needed, as voters punished the DAB for the support it gave to an unpopular government. According to this school of thought, the party should let Mr Tsang go, pull out of the Executive Council and turn its back on the government.
However attractive this may seem as a short-term strategy, we would suggest a different approach. The DAB should stick to its alliance with the government, and do so with Mr Tsang at the helm.
Some would say this would be political suicide. Certainly, standing firmly behind the government is not a vote-winner in the current climate. However, the DAB really has little choice. Founded in the aftermath of Tiananmen to act as a bridge between Beijing and Hong Kong - while other political parties were adopting a hostile stance towards the mainland - the DAB has been happy to be labelled 'pro-China'.
Since the handover, this has meant backing Beijing's favoured leader for our city, Mr Tung. It is this role as a force for stability under Mr Tung's leadership that gives the DAB its distinctive identity. If the party no longer supports the government, it is hard to see what other role it could play. It will be left with a broad stance based on livelihood issues, little different to that of the Democrats. If the DAB is to have a long-term future, it must have a clear role and it must be seen as standing up for its principles, no matter what the short-term pressures. To back away from supporting the government would render the party insignificant.
