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Support Drops for Hong Kong’s Tsang
- Fewer adults in Hong Kong are satisfied with the performance of their chief executive, according to a poll by the Hong Kong University Public Opinion Programme. The overall support rating for Donald Tsang stands at 63.6 points, down 1.6 points since late August.
In June 2005, Tsang was elected unopposed by an 800-member committee to serve as Hong Kong's chief executive for two years. Tsang had substituted Tung Chee-hwa on an interim basis.
China took control of Hong Kong from Britain in July 1997. As part of the "one country, two systems" arrangement proposed by Deng Xiaoping, China must allow Hong Kong to be sovereign in all matters—except national security and foreign affairs—until 2047.
Hong Kong's Basic Law sets no specific timetable for a democratically elected government. In September 2004, Hong Kong's 3.2 million registered voters chose 30 members to the 60-seat Legislative Council. The representatives monitor the performance of the government, and play a role in enacting laws, as well as examining and approving budgets.
Yesterday, Tsang explained his views on politics, saying, "Some might think that once a political leader has raised an ideological slogan, his supporters would naturally follow his idea and the leader could mobilize them whenever he wished to. But the matter they cannot see is that when they substitute those rational, pragmatic and analytical (senses) with this ideological slogan, it would then become the political leader's biggest enemy."
The government is currently discussing the implementation of a 5.0 per cent tax on goods and services in Hong Kong. Tsang is widely expected to be appointed to a new four-year term in 2008.
Polling Data
Please use a scale of 0-100 to rate your extent of support to the chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, with zero indicating absolutely not supportive, 100 indicating absolutely supportive and 50 indicating half-half. How would you rate the chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen?
Sept. 20 | Aug. 23 | Jul. 21 | Jun. 6 | |
Support Rating | 63.6 | 65.2 | 65.4 | 68.1 |
Source: Hong Kong University Public Opinion Programme
Methodology: Interviews with 1,013 Hong Kong residents, conducted from Sept. 14 to Sept. 20, 2006. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
