Hongkong leader to keep perks of office 'like Reagan, Thatcher'

The Sun ^ | 01/24/07

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Hongkong leader Donald Tsang said in aninterview today he would maintain his chief executive's privileges when he runs for re-election, citing Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan as precedents.

Tsang has been criticised for using his official car to visit his campaign office and for delaying the official announcement of his bid for a second term as chief executive until tomorrow.

Responding to the criticisms, Tsang said in an interview with the South China Morning Post he had been advised that it could "amount to a dereliction of duty" if he left the chief executive post vacant for long to stand for re-election.

After being accused by some Chinese newspapers of abusing his office by using his official car to visit his campaign office, Tsang said: "There are security considerations ... I cannot dispense of it (the government car) as long as I am chief executive.

"That happens in all developed democracies in the world: The incumbent must carry on with their job. You'll find Ronald Reagan did it, John Major did it, Margaret Thatcher did it. Tony Blair did it."

Reagan successfully stood for re-election as US president once, while Thatcher twice won re-election as incumbent British Prime Minister before being ousted by her own party members.

Tsang is expected to be awarded a full five-year term as chief executive when an 800-member, largely pro-Beijing election committee meets in March to choose the city's leader.

There is only one other candidate in the race, pro-democracy legislator Alan Leong who is seen as having no chance of winning over the committee after China's leaders in December gave their tacit backing to Tsang.

Tsang, formerly deputy leader of the former British colony, took over as Hongkong leader in 2005 when unpopular former chiefexecutive Tung Chee-hwa retired two years before the end of his second term. - dpa

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[NZerFromHK]

Mark this from a former Hong Konger: Donald Tsnag is a bootlicker to the guys in Peking. Interestingly enough, he often cites Reagan as one of the people he admires, along with Deng Xiaoping and Lee Kwan Yew.

Now, an interesting question: given he obeys Beijing's orders but says he admires Reagan, do the American liberals and Western leftists in general hate him or adore him?