Tsang strategy to add another string to his bow tie image

When Donald Tsang Yam-kuen described himself as a politician in his nomination paper for the chief executive election in 2005, it caused some ripples in political circles.

As a pharmaceuticals salesman who became the second-most senior local official in the colonial government, after chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang, Mr Tsang had an early taste of the daunting challenge of having to re-invent himself.

In a speech in June, 2005 to declare his candidacy for chief executive, Mr Tsang played on his trademark bow-tie, taking it as his campaign logo while promising a fresh start in the post-Tung Chee-hwa era. 'We have made mistakes,' he admitted, 'but let's not look at the past as a reason for our grumble today. If we open the door for a quarrel between the present and the past, we shall be in danger of losing the battle.'

The story of this civil servant-turned-politician is about to enter a new chapter. Speaking two weeks ago as if he was still undecided about his re-election plans, Mr Tsang said in a television interview: 'I have to consider why we would need Donald Tsang to run? What are the things that only he but no one else could do? Can his actions really enhance the social, economic and political situation?'

Last week, Mr Tsang seemed to have found the answers in another interview. He stopped short of giving a preview of his election manifesto, given he is tipped to formally announce his candidacy tomorrow. But Mr Tsang pledged to elevate Hong Kong to a 'much higher plateau' in social, economic and political affairs if he is given five more years.

It is an 'if' that carries virtually no meaning given his re-election on March 25 is a foregone conclusion. In an article for the South China Morning Post's Insight pages on Tuesday, Executive Council member Tsang Yok-sing defined the election as a 'mock popular election, the first of its kind to be held in Hong Kong'. '[Donald] Tsang and Mr [Alan] Leong will therefore be competing primarily not for votes within the Election Committee, but for the hearts of Hong Kong people,' he wrote.