Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa is Gone!!

Confimring earlier rumors, Reuters reports that Old Fish Face (or Rabbit Face) has resigned for personal "Health" reasons, more than two years ahead of schedule. Tung's resignation comes just weeks after he was publicly reprimanded by Chinese President Hu Jintao for his poor performance over the past seven years.

That wound be number 3 out of 3 big fish to go after the July 1 2003, January 1 2004 and July 1 2004 democracy demonstrations. Simon asks : which will become truly democratic first, Hong Kong or Iran?; and provides links to more info (as always).

Chief Secretary for Administration Donald Tsang is expected to step in as Acting Chief Executive, hence forth to be known as "The Donald". There are lots of questions about how long he will "Acting". See The Basic Law On The Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive.

The Ecomomist comments on Dumping Tung: The reported resignation of Hong Kong?s leader, Tung Chee-hwa, will be welcome news for the territory?s pro-democracy groups. But the timing of his departure shows how masterfully Beijing is controlling political events in Hong Kong and the New York Times thinks: Hong Kong Leader's Likely Exit Is Mixed Blessing for Opposition.

Simon World is doing an ongoing roundup on the ongoing Tung resignation saga under Hong Kong's Long March.

The Globe and Mail editoral (March 8th " Good riddance, Mr. Tung) summed in up nicely : Good news: he's gone. Bad News: Beijing still pulling the strings. Or as Conrad(Gweilo Diaries) might have put it if he was still around : "Beijing is the Hand in the Chief Executive sock puppet".

Update: Fish Face has left the building (but the smell remains).

Category:Hong Kong