Hong Kong leader's popularity slumps to new low after protest march

Jul 15, 2009, 6:26 GMT

   Hong Kong - The popularity of Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang has hit an all-time low after tens of thousands of people took part in an anti-government march on July 1, a survey found Wednesday.

   Forty-six per cent of more than 1,000 people interviewed in a monthly poll run by the University of Hong Kong said they lacked confidence in the Beijing-appointed chief executive.

   The disapproval rating was the highest since Tsang took office in 2005, and six percentage points higher than before mass rally the calling for democracy and better governance.

   The proportion of people who approved of Tsang's performance has also dropped five percentage points from 45 to 40 per cent in the same monthly survey, researchers said.

   March organizers say 76,000 people took to the streets on July 1, a public holiday marking the anniversary of Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty to air grievances over the city's administration.

   Tsang, picked by Beijing to run the former British colony after the resignation of his unpopular predecessor Tung Chee-hwa, scored consistently high popularity ratings in his first years in office.

   His ratings have fallen sharply with the onset of the financial crisis, and because of a series of government blunders as well as a failure to press ahead with moves towards greater democracy.

   Tsang provoked anger in May by appearing to claim that Hong Kong people wanted to forget about the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing and concentrate instead on China's economic achievements.

   Hong Kong has limited democracy with half of its 60 legislators chosen by popular mandate. The city's chief executive is chosen by a pro-China election committee.