Not much left to say

Marking the midway point of his second term, the next policy address of Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa should be a watershed event. If public expectation and interest in tomorrow's speech has been low, it speaks volumes for the depth of a feeling of resignation, helplessness and indifference over the Tung leadership. Before Mr Tung's speech at the Legislative Council, his top adviser, Professor Lau Siu-kai, said that stability was the prerequisite for development. One of the major targets of the government in the next 30 months, he said, was to reduce social conflicts.

'[The government] will not raise contentious policies,' said the Central Policy Unit head. 'It will only initiate policies that have already been widely discussed, and explain whether it can proceed. This is to show the government's willingness to address public opinion.'

Professor Lau, who plays a key role in drafting the speech, said Mr Tung was keen to give a clear picture of his policy agenda in the next two-and-a-half years: '[Let people] know what's going to happen [and] what's not going to happen. [We] hope this will provide a clear environment.'

More than 18 months after the rally on July 1, 2003, Mr Tung and his top aides may say the governance crisis that unfolded afterwards are history. But events in the past few months raise fears of sharpening social and economic conflicts at a time when government capacity and authority in reconciling differences are weakening.

The series of controversies over the demolition of Hunghom Peninsula estate, the canopy and single-tender model of the West Kowloon cultural district development, and the Link Reit listing fiasco have deepened an entrenched view of a government that is biased towards big business, arrogant and intransigent in its governance style, and incompetent and indecisive in the delivery of policies.

With the pledge of effective governance in the 2004 policy address still ringing in their ears, people cannot help but take a more realistic, if not pessimistic, view of the Tung administration. A caller at a radio phone-in programme on the policy address preview said: 'Let's not hope for any more achievements. Let's hope there won't be any more mistakes.'