4TH LD: Incumbent Donald Tsang wins 2nd term as H.K. chief executive

HONG KONG, March 25 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH MORE QUOTES, INFO)

Incumbent leader Donald Tsang won a second term as Hong Kong chief executive as expected Sunday, defeating pro-democracy challenger Alan Leong in the first contested leadership election since Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

Of 788 votes cast by members of the 795-strong Election Committee, 772 were valid, of which 62-year-old Tsang won 649, while Leong garnered 123, an election official said. The remaining 16 votes including 11 blank ones were invalid, the official said.

Tsang's new five-year term will begin July 1. He first took office in 2005 after his predecessor, Tung Chee-hwa, stepped down.

''The election has realized the victory of the 'one country, two systems' principle. The procedure of the election enhanced the political culture of Hong Kong and it serves as a steppingstone for Hong Kong's political development in the future,'' Tsang, who could barely hold back his tears the moment the result was announced, told reporters at a press briefing.

In Hong Kong, which has been allowed limited autonomy under the principle engineered by the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, only members of the Election Committee composed of mostly pro-Beijing businessmen and politicians are eligible to choose the new leader.

The Basic Law, Hong Kong's mini-constitution effective since Britain returned the territory to China, states that universal suffrage is the ultimate goal, but the standing committee of Beijing's parliament in 2004 ruled out universal suffrage for the chief executive election this year and election of legislators in 2008 by re-interpreting the law, which is stated as a right of the National People's Congress.

Leong, 49, a barrister who said he was representing all people who are denied the right to vote, has been lobbying for universal suffrage by 2012, when elections for the chief executive and Legislative Council will be held.

Tsang has not told the public when he would like to see full democracy, except for saying that he would resolve the matter within his five-year tenure beginning in July should he be reelected.

Following the victory in Sunday's election, Tsang said, ''There is no conflict between improving the economy and quality of life of people, and implementing universal suffrage.''

''Consultation to be launched after summer will focus on the final resolution, not a mid-term resolution, for universal suffrage,'' he said.

Leong's supporters chanted slogans calling for universal suffrage by 2012 after the voting results were announced, while Tsang's supporters countered by chanting his name.

''Simplistic slogans have not replaced careful deliberations,'' Tsang said when referring to the development of democracy in Hong Kong. ''The maturity of Hong Kong people has been demonstrated throughout the electoral process. This has made this election very special, and it lays out a solid foundation for moving towards universal suffrage.''

Leong met the press following Tsang, saying that the election has modified Hong Kong's political culture towards full democracy.

''There is no turning back from here,'' he said. ''I pledge to continue to monitor the performance of the government and continue to fight for universal suffrage by 2012.''

''Today marks the end of the election but also marks a new beginning for me and a new era in which I should work with Hong Kong people toward a better tomorrow, a Hong Kong we want,'' Leong said.

During the casting of votes, at least 100 pro-democratic people from professional sectors, including accountants, lawyers and architects, announced that they have established the Professional Alliance for HK, with the aim of promoting universal suffrage by 2012 and to provide a platform for professionals to express their views on public affairs.

Leong said, ''We would not waste what we have consolidated so far.'' ''What we have experienced so far will instruct on future development of democracy movement and also future similar elections.''

In the previous two leadership elections since Hong Kong's return -- the 2002 election and the 2005 by-election -- Beijing-favored candidates won unopposed because other contenders could not secure more than the minimum 100 nominations.

Tung, the first chief executive since the handover and predecessor of Tsang, beat three opponents in the 1996 election and won a second term in 2002, but retired in 2005 citing health reasons.

Tsang was financial chief under British rule and chief secretary for administration under Tung's tenure.

The two-hour voting went smoothly as protesters, except for activist-turned-legislator Leung Kwok-hung, were restricted to a protest zone hundreds of meters from the voting station.

Leung arrived at the station in a yellow robe and wearing a pig facemask, mocking the winner of the election as crowned by Beijing and likening him to the boar ''Napoleon'' in George Orwell's Animal Farm for manipulating the people.

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