Political Animal

Liberals bide their time in nominations scramble

In the rush to register nominations for next month's district council elections, one major party has been conspicuous by its absence. But far from shunning one person, one vote, the Liberal Party says its 60-plus troops are not yet ready for nominations, as they are still awaiting delivery of custom-made sashes for candidates to wear and leaflets hot off the press. 'We insist on waiting until we are all ready. We want to give a unified new look this time, so it takes a bit of time,' said party legislator Howard Young. The party said it never wanted to compete for early-bird publicity anyway and plans to sign up next week. An official launch ceremony is scheduled for October 14, the eve of the two-week nomination period closing.

Anson Chan proves well-versed on motivation

Friends and former civil service colleagues of Anson Chan Fang On-sang still puzzled over why she changed her mind to run in the Legislative Council by-election now have an answer - poetry. It is an open secret that Mrs Chan had grave reservations about running when the idea was first floated by some Democrat friends. But now she has told the South China Morning Post that the poem The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost had an impact on her decision. Recalling her struggle to reach a decision, she said: 'This verse came to me. That's why I'm doing what I'm doing. I don't want to have any regrets. I have had none so far.'

The last part of the poem reads:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -