曾荫权连任后面临重大挑战

　　刚刚获得连任的香港特区行政长官曾荫权(DonaldTsang)接下来将面对这样一个难题：如何带领香港实现普选、同时又不至与谨慎的中央政府发生冲突。

　　在周日的特首选举中，曾荫权如期顺利获得连任。

在选举委员会795名成员中，曾荫权得到649票，他的竞争对手梁家杰(AlanLeong)得到123票，其余23名委员有的未参与投票、有的弃权，还有部分选票被宣布无效。

　　此次当选后，曾荫权的第二个、也是最后一个任期将到2012年结束。曾荫权表示，任职期间，他将“彻底解决”如何在香港实行普选的敏感问题。由于历史上曾是英国的殖民地，香港有着自身特有的法律及政治体系。曾荫权即将迈开的第一步：他会在今年年中公布一份内容详尽的计划。

　　在1997年香港回归前，中英双方曾就香港将最终实施普选的问题达成一致，但有关普选实施的具体时间和方式未有定论。近几年来，香港民众要求迅速实行政治变革的呼声时涨时落。香港前行政长官董建华在位时，数十万香港市民走向街头举行抗议活动，要求董建华下台，并立即实行自由选举。2005年3月董建华在其第二任期尚未期满时辞职，此后民众的抗议有所平息。

　　然而，普选支持者在香港政界仍是一支不可小视的力量。香港激进民主阵营的很多成员都坚决要求在2010年、即下届行政长官选举时实行“一人一票”的选举制。在周日举行选举投票的会议大厅里，民主派高呼要求实行普选的口号，还打出了印有“2012年”字样的标语。

　　此次选举的候选人之一梁家杰就是一位民主政治的积极倡导者。他指出，我们对2012年实现普选的决心未有丝毫动摇。这场战斗“从现在起不会再回头”。

　　而北京方面长期以来一直毫不掩饰地担心太多、太快的民主有可能危及香港的稳定。香港商界人士也有同样的担忧。

　　现年62岁的曾荫权在谈到其民主计划的细节时总是语焉不详。此前他曾提出稍稍扩大香港的选举范围，并得到了北京方面的支持，但却在2005年12月遭到民主派议员否决而未能通过。从那时起，有关此话题的讨论由于各方意见不一而遭搁浅。

　　此次特首选举前的竞选活动使这个话题再次成为人们的关注焦点，但曾荫权却认为某些知名民主派人士的提议不切实际而未予采纳。这也使曾荫权未来将采取何种模式来赢得香港众多政治派别支持的问题变得模糊不清。曾荫权表示，他的提议能够赢得广泛支持，同时也能够使香港的选举体系获得国际上的认可，他对此很有信心。

　　有些知名民主人士意识到了妥协与合作的意义。在近日举行的一次电视辩论上，梁家杰甚至称中央政府的决策“理性而务实”，这与香港其他民主派人士的对抗性言论有明显不同。

　　今年7月1日香港将举行活动庆祝回归十周年，预计中央领导届时也将出席。

　　香港城市大学(City University of HongKong)政治学教授JamesSung说，眼下民主派人士和香港民众热切盼望在这个问题上能更进一步，这对曾荫权或许是一个取得突破的大好时机。但他同时也指出，这将是一件极其困难的事情。

　　This citys top official, whose tenure has just been extendedfiveyears, faces the difficult challenge of leading Hong Kongtowardpopular elections without antagonizing Chinascautiousleadership.

　　As expected, Donald Tsang was handily re-elected as HongKongschief executive yesterday by an exclusive election committeeof 795mrs. Mr. Tsang received 649 votes, while his opponent, AlanLeong,received 123. The remaining 23 committee mrs either didntvote,cast blank ballots or had their ballots declared invalid.

　　Mr. Tsangs second term in office, the last he can have, willendin 2012. By then, he says, he will thoroughly resolvethedelicate issue of how to introduce popular elections to HongKong,a former British territory with its own legal andpoliticalsystems. Mr. Tsangs first step: a detailed proposal thathe plansto unveil around the middle of this year.

　　Before Hong Kongs transfer of sovereignty nearly 10 yearsago,Chinese and British officials agreed that Hong Kongwouldeventually embrace universal suffrage, but they center it openwhenand how. In recent years, popular support to fast-trackpoliticalchanges in Hong Kong has waxed and waned. When Mr.Tsangsunpopular predecessor, Tung Chee Hwa, was in office,hundreds ofthousands of people took to the streets on severaloccasionscalling for his departure and the swift introduction offreeelections. In March 2005, partway into his second term, Mr.Tungresigned. Since then, public agitation has diminished.

　　However, supporters of free elections remain a strong forceinHong Kong politics. Many in Hong Kongs boisterous democraticcampinsist on one person, one vote elections no later than 2012,whenthe next polls will be held. At the convention hall wherethevoting on chief executive took place yesterday, democracyadvocateschanted slogans calling for free elections and carriedplacardssaying 2012.

　　Our determination to achieve universal suffrage in 2012remainsas strong as ever, said Mr. Leong, the pro-democracycandidate whoran against Mr. Tsang for chief executive. There isno turningback from here.

　　Beijing officials have long openly fretted that toomuchdemocracy, too soon, may destabilize the city, animportantfinancial hub for China. Those concerns are often echoedby leadersin Hong Kongs business community.

　　Mr. Tsang, 62 years old, has kept mum on the details of hisplanfor democracy. A previous attempt by him to slightly broadenHongKongs electoral base received backing from Beijing but failedtopass when pro-democratic lawmakers shot it down in Decr 2005.Sincethen, discussion on the topic has been bogged downbysquabbling.

　　The campaign for yesterdays election brought the issue backintothe spotlight, but Mr. Tsang dismissed as impracticalseveralproposals raised by prominent pro-democracy figures. Thisleavesunclear what model Mr. Tsang can pursue that would win thesupportof Hong Kongs many political factions. Mr. Tsang says heisconfident that his proposal can win broad support and giveHongKong an internationally recognized electoral system.

　　`Some prominent democrats see value in compromise andcooperation.Mr. Leong even called Beijings policies pragmaticand rationalduring a recent television debate, departing fromtheconfrontational rhetoric adopted by others in HongKongsdemocratic camp.

　　Leaders from Beijing are expected to attend the celebrationswhenHong Kong on July 1 commemorates the 10th anniversary of itsreturnto Chinese control.

　　With democrats and the public eager for a step forward ontheissue, Mr. Tsang may have a golden opportunity to strike adeal,says James Sung, a professor of politics at City University ofHongKong. But, he adds, its going to be extremely difficult.

　　(实习编辑:顾萍)