Hong Kong leader to stand again

Tung will seek a second-term despite his unpopularity among his constituents

HONG KONG, China -- Hong Kong's Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa says he will seek a second five-year term, which is virtually assured given China's strong support.

"I've decided to partake in the election," Tung announced on Thursday during a gala bash to kick off his campaign, which was attended by 1,000 staunch supporters and influential figures.

An 800-member election committee, made up largely of pro-China business leaders, political elites and local representatives of China's parliament, will pick the next leader in March.

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Analysts believe that Tung's victory is already in the bag, given Beijing's open preference to him.

"I believe he will be elected," Chinese President Jiang Zemin told reporters on Thursday during an official visit to Myanmar.

Beijing chose Tung to be the first Chinese leader of the territory after more than 150 years of British rule ended in July 1997.

Public unimpressed

Tung's victory is already assured given Beijing's support for him

But while Beijing has made no secret of its support for him, Tung remains largely unpopular in his area of jurisdiction.

His tenure has been plagued by crisis, from a property and stock market collapse to a fiasco surrounding the opening of a new international airport and two deep economic downturns.

Tung, however, vowed that his second term goal would be to lead Hong Kong out of economic turmoil and to strengthen its competitiveness as a major financial and transport hub in Asia.

Nonetheless, the public remains skeptical, particularly now that Hong Kong is on the brink of a second recession.

Opinion polls show widespread displeasure with his low-key style and his perceived lack of political skills in dealing with the public, Reuters news agency said.

A polling group that has monitored trends in Hong Kong since 1989 said this week that a record number of people were unhappy with Tung and do not want him to seek a second term.

Of 759 people surveyed by the Hong Kong Transition Project in the first week of November, 65 percent were dissatisfied with Tung and only 25 percent satisfied.

Some 61 percent did not want Tung running for a second term, 18 percent wanted him to, while 21 percent were neutral.