Veteran Szeto ends Legco career

Veteran Democrat Szeto Wah yesterday brought his 18-year legislative career to a close, announcing that he would not seek re-election in September's Legco poll.

Likening his life to a story, the 73-year-old said his decision to step down was just putting a full stop at the end of a paragraph. It was not, however, the very last punctuation mark in a tale he still wanted to keep active.

Flanked by party heavyweights including chairman Yeung Sum, and Alan Leong Kah-kit of the Article 45 Concern Group, Mr Szeto made his widely anticipated declaration.

Outspoken radio talk-show host Albert Cheng King-hon was also on hand to show his support.

Mr Szeto, who heads the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, said he made his decision not to run in the Legislative Council election four years ago. His age, long working hours and heavy workload were among the reasons he gave for quitting Legco to concentrate on voluntary work.

'I'm not very interested in Legco work,' he said. 'There were many times when, though we spent much time and effort, [we] failed to achieve the expected outcome.'

Looking back on his long legislative career, Mr Szeto said he had neither regrets nor striking memories. What he remembered best were the election campaigns, especially running against Elsie Tu for the Urban Council seat of Kwun Tong North in 1985, which he won.