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Following is the transcript of remarks (English portion) by the Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, at the press conference at Central Government Offices New Annexe today (June 21):
Earlier this morning, I was told that the Central People's Government had appointed me as the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) for the remainder of the second term.
I want to thank the Central People's Government for giving me this opportunity to serve our people; I want to thank members of the Election Committee for their overwhelming support; and I want to thank members of the community for their warm endorsement of my candidacy.
I will fly to Beijing shortly and be formally sworn in. And I will begin to implement my programme of work immediately.
Humbly I accept this responsibility. And proudly, I ask the people of Hong Kong to join me in starting a new chapter for this remarkable city that we call home.
The Campaign Trail
The election process has affected me deeply. I have been doing a lot of soul searching.
Once the nominations closed and it became clear that I was the only eligible candidate, I began to reflect on the course of the campaign and the many lessons that I learned from directly engaging the people of Hong Kong.
I have lobbied intensely over the past three weeks to win the nominations and support of the Election Committee. Many of the questions they asked and the opinion they offered have been insightful and valuable.
I have also reached out beyond these representatives to the community at large - in our streets, our housing estates, our teahouses, our elderly homes, our typhoon shelter - all the places where my fellow citizens gather.
The experience has been richly rewarding and enlightening. Talking to people in a different capacity, seeing issues from a different angle, and reassessing my own thoughts from a different perspective - all of this has been salutary and refreshing.
One great privilege of standing for this election is the rare opportunity of getting out of the office, going into streets and alleyways to listen to people's stories, their happiness, and their frustrations. The many Hong Kong stories that I heard have served to remind me of one important truth: that most people's concerns are honestly simple - the rough and tumble of everyday life.
When I chatted with the citizens in the street - men and women, young and old - they all spoke in one voice. Their message is loud and clear - that they want a Government with the patience to listen, a Government that is sensitive to their needs, prompt and timely in action, and capable of preserving the values and institutions that we have long treasured. These are all basic things that the Government can and should offer.
Good Government
Collectively, the individuals I met have provided me with a portrait of Hong Kong people - a people that are straightforward, that are reasonable, and that are compassionate.
They know that the Government is not the solution to all of life's problems. They also understand that a good government can create an environment in which its citizens can find their own solutions or can help each other to tackle the challenge of everyday life.
But what impressed me most is a clear will on our citizens' part to make a contribution to our common good.
My aim is equally simple: I want to demonstrate to the Hong Kong people that I stand ready to act, and to act in a timely way for their welfare and interests.
I want to restore harmony and inclusiveness in our community.
Above all, I want to give the people of Hong Kong a government that deserves their trust.
I pledge that I will endeavour to deliver the modest ambitions that I promised during the election.
Together, I believe that we can make Hong Kong great. And together I believe that we can make Hong Kong truly "Asia's world city", a place that is second to none.
Ends/Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Issued at HKT 18:28
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