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1. Tamar U-turn a show of DAB's political courage

1. Tamar U-turn a show of DAB's political courage
Carrie Chan, The Standard 6 April 2006

Chief Executive Donald Tsang's unprecedented appearance at a central committee meeting of the main pro-Beijing party, together with his pledge for a core partnership relationship in the long term, proved irresistible for the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.

A U-turn is expected today by the 10 DAB lawmakers - they are expected to back the proposal for a new post to coordinate construction of the government's Tamar plan in a crucial Finance Committee vote tomorrow. The outcome is seen as key to getting the project off the ground.

Critics may read the DAB's move as well-orchestrated, one that provides a pretext for the party to change its stance gracefully. But it was a close shave for the party after it was on the brink of a fallout with the government.

It is not Tsang's olive branch that softened the party's obstinate stance over the Tamar redevelopment. Rather they woke up to the fact that they were placing the party's long-term development in peril. The 40-odd core DAB members of the central committee voiced their fears in the closed-door meeting with Tsang over the possible repercussions of their U-turn on future elections. Tsang consoled the party that the public are keen to see the Tamar project go ahead to boost the economy and create jobs.

A change of stance on Tamar plan is a show of the DAB's political courage and judgment.

In fact, an ostensible trend in public opinion emerged last month after the Democratic Party announced its conditional backing of the Tamar plan, calling for the giant public works project to be expedited. Even developers were pleased with the compromise in construction plans for Tamar that lowered the height of the building and plot ratio. Their unanimous backing appeared to strike home among some DAB leaders.

It is the party's political considerations that have prevailed in this U-turn, a leading DAB lawmaker said. " This may not be the best deliberation we have sought, but a popular decision that the people have called for. As a people- based party, we cannot go against public aspirations but must heed their needs. If not, we face losing our mandate in coming elections," the lawmaker said.

With the DAB now backing the Tamar plan, Tsang does not have to bow to the Democrats' conditions of freezing any sale of the existing site at Lower Albert Road and to set up a government- funded trust for harbor reclamation.

"We will opt for any relocation plan that can incorporate the merits of our southeast Kowloon stance [building the government offices at the site of the former Kai Tak airport]. Unlike the Democrats, we do not bargain for any political gains in return," a DAB party leader said.