Veteran civil servant Donald Tsang (曾蔭權) may have cantered to victory in the one-horse race to become Hong Kong's new leader but he faces a potentially rough ride in the months ahead, analysts said.
Tsang, who earned the overwhelming support of a Beijing-backed committee that selects the city's leaders, must balance the wishes of his Chinese masters with the aspirations of a public disenchanted with their government and frustrated by a lack of democratic reform.
"It's a difficult job to do; it will be like walking on a tightrope," said Anthony Cheung (張炳良), political professor at City University. "He will need to learn how to strike a balance. If he speaks the language of Beijing, people will not trust him. Winning the election came too easily for him. He now has to face the public."
The bow-tie wearing former British mandarin represents a new start for China's Hong Kong after Beijing's first choice of chief executive, Tung Chee-Hwa (董建華), resigned unexpectedly in March following a troubled eight-year reign.
Tung blamed poor health for his resignation mid-way through his second term but it was an unpopular tenure blighted by the Asian financial crisis, record unemployment and unease over Chinese interference in Hong Kong's affairs.
The Tung era reached low points in July 2003 when 500,000 protested against restrictive anti-subversion laws proposed by China, and when the same number rallied for democracy a year later.
In December, he was given a public dressing-down by President Hu Jintao (
Tsang can already claim far more popular support than Tung but he will face many of the same problems as his predecessor.
While he has promised a fresh start, improved governance and a shake-up of the cabinet, he also has a tough job to convince the public that he will not be a Beijing puppet.
Likewise, he will have to keep Beijing on-side to avoid being ousted at the end of his first term, which has been shortened to just two years. The pro-China lobby dominates the corridors of power and is suspicious of Tsang's work with Hong Kong's former British rulers and his Catholic faith.
Political commentator Lau Yui-siu said one of Tsang's greatest challenges will be dealing with Hong Kong's popular pro-democracy movement and ongoing calls for more autonomy.
"He doesn't have the power to have any say about these issues. He can only follow Beijing's order," Lau said.
Pro-democracy lawmaker Emily Lau (
"How is he going to improve relations with us if he only listens to the Chinese government?"
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