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Chan, Ip back away from HK election

Just weeks after two popular former female officials electrified Hong Kong with hints of a run for its top political job, both have now apparently ruled out any challenge.

Former deputy leader Anson Chan (陳方安生) and former security secretary Regina Ip (葉劉淑儀) set up a tantalizing proposition when they both returned to the political fray, pushing for more democracy in the territory.

Both were tipped as possible contenders in next year's leadership selection process against the Beijing-backed Chief Executive Donald Tsang (曾蔭權).

But the summer appears to have dulled the fighting edge of the so-called "Handbag Brigade", with Ip recently stating outright that she would not run and Chan thought to be preparing a similar statement.

Ip says she will concentrate on her new conservative think-tank and may consider running for the legislature, while Chan is said to have been unable to get the support she needs to challenge Tsang.

"It's a reflection of the political reality here," said Joseph Cheng (鄭宇碩), a political science professor at Hong Kong City University.

"Beijing supports Tsang's re-election and everybody expects him to win without much difficulty," Cheng said. "What is the point in running against him?"

Tsang was selected to lead Hong Kong after the first post-colonial leader Tung Chee-hwa (董建華) stepped down early into his second term in March last year.

Tsang is considered a shoo-in for re-selection in March as he is the only potential candidate that has Beijing's blessing.

Chan and Ip, say experts, were never going to be able to garner enough support to topple Tsang.

"I think their best hopes would have been to prevent Tsang from winning by default, as he did in the last selection when nobody ran against him," said pro-democracy Legislator Ronnie Tong (湯家驊).
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