Tung's popularity increases despite recent controversy: poll

Updated at 6.03pm: The popularity of Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa has increased - despite recent public concerns over constitutional reform and the resignation of three radio talk-show hosts, a new poll released on Tuesday has found.

Mr Tung scored 43.9 marks in the latest popularity poll - 1.9 marks up since May - the University of Hong Kong's Public Opinion Programme poll showed.

Robert Chung Ting-Yiu, director of the programme, said: 'The reasons probably include his relatively high profile lately in reasserting freedom of speech, and the fading away of National People's Congress's decisions regarding universal suffrage.'

However, 64 per cent of the respondents did not support Mr Tung as Chief Executive; only 19 per cent did, the poll found.

Mr Chung said the popularity of Chief Secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen has also rebounded, but it was still lower than that before the NPC's interpretation of the Basic Law.

'Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology John Tsang Chun-wah appears on the list for the first time, at the fourth position,' he said.