Anson Chan won't seek re-election to Legco

Anson Chan Fang On-sang announced yesterday she would not stand for re-election in the next Legislative Council polls on September 7.

While putting an end to an eight-month stint in Legco, she pledged to canvass votes for pan-democratic candidates and to help groom young aspirants for universal suffrage elections in 2017 and 2020.

'It's a very difficult decision. I have to find a balance among various factors: public expectations, how I can best play a role, and my family,' she said. 'The recent political appointee row shows the critical importance of checks and balances by an elected legislature against abuses of power by the government.

'We now have a timetable [for universal suffrage for the chief executive] in 2017 and [all legislators] in 2020. I'm convinced we must step up efforts to mentor the future generation of political talent. By 2020, we must be able to give real choices to voters. I therefore decided not to run. Instead, I will spend more time mentoring future leaders through the Citizens' Commission on Constitutional Development.'

Mrs Chan, who retired from the post of chief secretary in 2001, won the Legco Hong Kong Island by-election in December, beating former secretary for security Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee and six other candidates.

She had since been non-committal on this year's Legco election, but speculation grew in the past few weeks that she would call it a day when her current term expired.