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'The incident has led to great embarrassment and inconvenience to my colleagues'

Disgraced district councillor Alex Ho Wai-to resigned from the Democratic Party yesterday, saying he needed to apologise for the great embarrassment he had caused his colleagues.

'I feel very happy for them asking me to stay and for the support from some party leaders,' Mr Ho said at a ceremony to mark his return to his district council office in Kwun Tong.

'But my decision to leave was not made in a rush. The main reason for my quitting is my failure to handle the incident properly, which has led to great embarrassment and inconvenience to my colleagues.

'I will talk to party chairman Lee Wing-tat today and make a request for my departure with effect starting today.'

Some analysts partly blamed the Democrats' indifferent showing at September's Legislative Council election on the controversy surrounding Mr Ho's detention in Dongguan , Guangdong, for allegedly hiring a prostitute.

Mr Ho was released on January 28 after six months of custody and education. He has denied hiring a prostitute and said the woman mainland police found in his hotel room was an 'ordinary friend' who was a disc jockey at a karaoke lounge.

Earlier this month he offered to resign from the party, but the leadership asked him to stay on.

Mr Ho, who was in a good mood yesterday and accompanied by his wife, Lai Fung-sim,  said the most important thing for him now was to maintain good health and continue his work in the Kwun Tong district.

He said he was trying to strengthen his immune system, which had been weakened by liver problems caused by hepatitis. He is also suffering from the skin disease psoriasis.

Legislator Fred Li Wah-ming, a close friend of Mr Ho, said he would continue supporting him, particularly in his district work. He added that the book should be closed on the incident and said Mr Ho and the party would not comment further on it.

About 100 local residents and friends turned up to yesterday's ceremony.

But Mr Ho was also met by a protest by 16 disgruntled residents, who demanded his resignation as a district councillor.

Mr Ho said he would not do so since he had not done anything wrong and the incident had nothing to do with his district work.

'I have not considered not running for the next district council elections in 2007,' he said. Far from considering him a disgrace some people had suggested he write his biography.

Mr Ho performed traditional rituals during yesterday's ceremony, including burning paper worshipping gods and cutting two roasted pigs.

Some local residents  said Mr Ho's detention would not prevent them seeking help from him on district affairs.

But Kwun Tong resident Chan Yuen-ngor said Mr Ho owed the public a full account of his arrest on the mainland because his explanation was incomplete.

Earlier this month, Mr Ho held a press conference explaining his arrest, but was criticised for hiding important details.

Ms Chan said: 'He needs to tell us what had happened that night and how those photos were taken.' But she  was sympathetic about his detention and health problems.



Sorry, I've got to go, says Alex Ho