(急)英文剪報[20點]

題目 : Anson Chan to run in Legco by-election
日期 : 12 September 2007

內容 :
Former chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang on Tuesday morning confirmed she would stand as a candidate for the Hong Kong Island seat in the legislature.
Her announcement ends speculation about her intentions – and is a reversal of her statement a week ago that she had no intention of running.

"It was not part of my plan to adopt a higher public profile and to seek the run of the elective office," she said at a press conference.

But Mrs Chan said she had decided to stand because she realised she had considerable public support.

"Particularly in the past 10 days, I have received enormous community support," she said.

Mrs Chan said another reason that persuaded her to stand was because this was a crucial time for Hong Kong.

"We are in the midst of a very important public consultation on the green paper on constitutional reform," she said.

"The whole question of universal suffrage... and the attitude of the government going up in the consultation. All those were factors... have led me to take up this particular challenge."

Once dubbed the "conscience of Hong Kong', a relaxed Mrs Chan spoke to a number of journalists in both English and Cantonese.

The 67-year-old was the first woman and the first Chinese person to become chief secretary, the second-highest governmental position in the territory. She retired in 2001.

In July 2006 Mrs Chan started a Core Group (Mrs Anson Chan and Her Core Group) to help encourage a debate on constitutional reform.Write byline Write bodyMrs Chan said she was not seeking to be leader of the pan-democrats – but to promote universal suffrage in Hong Kong by 2012.

"If I can be selected as a legislator, I hope to do my best in the Legislative Council to promote the development of democracy," she said.

Mrs Chan explained that after 39 years as a civil servant and politician, she understood the difficulties facing the government – and the importance of its relationship with Beijing.

"Gaining the trust of the central government is crucial in achieving universal suffrage and promoting the democratic movement of Hong Kong," she added.

The former chief secretary said she also needed a more effective platform to advocate her beliefs.

"Over the past year my Core Group couldn't develop a proper channel to communicate with the government of Hong Kong and the central government."

She said they had ignored the group's views on ways to achieve universal suffrage by 2012.

"Since indicating my intentions to run in the Hong Kong Island by-election, over the last few days the central government has started having conversations with me," Mrs Chan revealed.

She has also informed the chief executive's office. Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen is currently visiting New Zealand.

Asked why she did not run in this year's chief executive election, Mrs Chan said it had not been democratic enough.

"The chief executive election in 2007 was voted by 800 members of the election committee –instead of six million Hong Kong people."

But Mrs Chan would not elaborate on whether she might run for the next chief executive election.

There has been speculation Mrs Chan's opponent in the by-election could be pro-Beijing candidate Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee.

Mrs Ip, a controversial former security chief, has yet to make an announcement.

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