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No way but down

Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa has positioned himself as the person to facilitate direct and effective communication with the central government. Thus, hopes have been pinned on him to help arrange a visit to Beijing by democratic legislators.

Communicating with the central authorities has never been within the purview of the Legislative Council. The primary function of councillors, especially those directly elected, is to monitor government policies and legislative initiatives. It is also their duty to reflect public opinion.

Official communication between the special administrative region and the central government should be done through the chief executive.

Mr Tung was handpicked by Beijing because he had virtually the complete trust of the central authorities. This is his biggest asset. As a result, Beijing kept its promise of 'one country, two systems'. It refrained from meddling in our internal affairs in the initial stages so that Mr Tung could be left alone to implement the policy of 'Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong'.

However, Mr Tung has put the interests of businesspeople before those of the public. He has invariably ended up on the wrong side of public opinion on many major issues. He has acted more and more like a loose cannon. That was why people voted with their feet against him on July 1 this year, and last year.

In response to the new political climate, Vice-President Zeng Qinghong was appointed to head a working group on Hong Kong and Macau affairs. The result is a direct intervention in Hong Kong's affairs.

The central government's liaison office not only co-ordinated the pro-government camp's Legco election strategy and campaign, it also played an active role in the election of the Legco president and the conveners of a number of committees.

The development is a clear indication that Beijing no longer places unreserved confidence in Mr Tung. The central authorities aside, Mr Tung also has difficulty communicating with the local legislature. He is either incapable, or unwilling, to do so. Take my case, for instance. After the election, he has met legislators with different political inclinations. Somehow, my meeting has yet to be arranged.

There had been rumours that Mr Tung would appoint Alan Leong Kah-kit, of the Article 45 Concern Group, to the Executive Council. Instead, he has picked Bernard Chan and Laura Cha Shih May-lung, who are more conservative in their political outlook. It remains a mystery whether Mr Tung's possible proposal to elevate Mr Leong was vetoed by Beijing.

Mr Tung considers the democratic camp his political enemy. Ironically, the democratic activists refrained from lashing out at him during the election period.

Instead, the supposedly friendly conservatives criticised him in their pursuit of votes. Among them, Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai went as far as confessing that she regretted voting for Mr Tung in the chief executive election.

The reality is that Mr Tung has been left in the political wilderness. He has lost the trust of Beijing and has no allies. Yet, he remains as arrogant as ever, refusing to change his unpopular ruling style.

The latest list of honours offers another example. A little-known American, Leo Daly - who is not a Hong Kong resident - was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star. The stated reason was that his design of the Cheung Kong Center won an international award. The real reason, it has been suggested, is that Mr Daly helped pave the way for Mr Tung to meet US President George W. Bush.

Much energy has been wasted on debating how Hong Kong could get along better with Beijing. The real issue is the diminishing ability of Mr Tung to govern.

Albert Cheng King-hon is a directly-elected legislator

Join Albert at 11am on Monday for a live interactive internet session in On the Spot

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