Three months after a rousing launch for the chief executive poll, Alan Leong Kah-kit is struggling to narrow the popularity gap with Donald Tsang Yam-kuen.
Overshadowed by the 70 per cent support rating for Mr Tsang to his 12 per cent, Mr Leong yesterday conceded his campaign had to go 'deeper and broader' in the 50-odd days to come. 'We have to intensify and broaden the campaign and come up with a way out. We have to get closer to the community.'
The response speaks to the frustration of the Leong camp as his platform and street campaigns have failed to boost ratings. Support for the Civic Party challenger rose from 10.1 per cent in September to 12.4 per cent last week in a monthly survey by Lingnan University. Mr Tsang, however, has rebounded 10 points to hit 70.3 after declaring his candidacy last Thursday.
The figures have rung the alarm bell for an urgent strategy review ahead of the start of the two-week nomination period next Wednesday. The pan-democratic camp began with a mission not to win the top job, but to spur a race with some sort of competition.
With the entry ticket in hand, Mr Leong's 'play it for real' approach has fuelled criticisms that the camp is legitimising rather than challenging the small-circle election.
The focus has been blurred further as Mr Leong's camp has become passive, if not reactionary, picking on Mr Tsang's every remark to try to score political points.
