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1. DAB hints at U-turn on Tamar plan

1. DAB hints at U-turn on Tamar plan
MARTIN WONG , SCMP 5 April 2006

The DAB hinted last night that it would support plans to build the new government headquarters on the Tamar site, after the chief executive took the extraordinary step of attending a meeting of the party's central committee.

Senior party officials have been insisting for months that the offices be built on the site of the old Kai Tak airport.

At last night's meeting Donald Tsang Yam-kuen listened to the party's views on the Tamar site development and again stressed that the headquarters must be built on the harbourfront in Central.

Party members expressed their reservations about the Tamar plan, describing the site as the most expensive piece of vacant land in Hong Kong and estimating it could fetch $24.3 billion if sold on the open market.

They also repeated their argument in favour of the Kai Tak site, saying a new development there would resurrect the once-thriving area of southeast Kowloon.

Party chairman Ma Lik said after the meeting that the chief executive had attended the meeting at the request of the party.

"We talked about governance and co-operation between the party and the administration," Mr Ma said.

"We also discussed the issue of the Tamar site. Mr Tsang explained to us that the government headquarters could not be moved to southeastern Kowloon.

"We feel that he is sincere in communicating with us, and our party will hold a meeting later to see if we will support the opening of a [government] post supervising the Tamar site development later."

Such a comment is the strongest indication yet that the party has changed its stance and will vote in favour of the government at a crucial meeting of Legco's Finance Committee on Friday, in which lawmakers will discuss the establishment of the supervisory position.

The chief executive's appearance at the meeting clearly indicated his determination to counter reports of antagonism between the party and the government.

And it came just three weeks after he and most of his top ministers attended the opening ceremony of former party chief Tsang Yok-sing's new office.

The chief executive has been lobbying political parties for months to win support for the Tamar scheme, and the Democratic Party hinted last month that it might back the multibillion-dollar plan if its demands were heeded.

On Monday Mr Tsang said the government wanted construction to start as soon as possible.

quot;We are not forcing it through ... But there is still opposition today. I think that has gone overboard," he said.