Incumbent Donald Tsang Yam Kuen won more than 80 percent of the votes in the election for chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Sunday, according to Returning Officer Justice Barnabas Fung Wah.

At about 11:50 AM, Fung announced that of the 772 valid votes cast by members of the Election Committee, contender Alan Leong won 123 and Tsang won 649, declaring victory for his second term.

The whole process was under the supervision of the Electoral Affairs Commission and scrutineers of the election candidates, with full participation of the mass public and public media.

"The process of the voting and ballot counting was smooth, and all arrangements were in line with election laws and regulations," said Electoral Affairs Commission Chairman Justice Pang Kin-kee. "The election was fair, open, and honest."

According to the Basic Law, the HKSAR chief executive is elected by the broadly representative Election Committee and then appointed by the Central People's Government.

After his official appointment by the Central People's Government, Tsang will become the third chief executive since the establishment of the HKSAR, with his term of office starting on July 1, 2007 and ending on June 30, 2012.

At the announcement of his victory, Tsang was met with warm applause from supporters at the polling center. With tears in his eyes, he bowed to the audience, accepted a congratulatory bouquet of flowers, and embraced his wife.

At a press conference soon after the announcement, Tsang said that the next-term HKSAR government under his leadership will be broadly representative and balance the interests of various sectors of society, while pledging to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor.

"We shall do our utmost to push economic development and establish Hong Kong as the number one international financial center in the region," he said.

He said that the election is a major step for Hong Kong's progression within the framework of the Basic Law, and a success of the "one country, two systems" principle, vowing to take concrete efforts to work towards the goal of constitutional development.

Voting began at 9 AM Sunday at Hall Two of the AsiaWorld-Expo on Lantou Island in Hong Kong, with 789 members of the 795-member Election Committee casting their secret ballots. The Election Committee usually consists of 800 members from different sectors; however, during this election four members each represented two sectors, and one member passed away before the vote.

"The result of the election meets people's expectation, indicating Tsang's good governance of Hong Kong over the past 18 months had been endorsed by most of the Election Committee members, " said Tsang Hin-chi, a member of the Election Committee and also a member of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress.

"The election result reflects the mainstream will of the people, that is, Hong Kong must develop forward in a stable manner," said Ma Lik, also a member of the Election Committee and chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong.

"The election was permeated with a warm atmosphere, and Tsang's overwhelming victory will help him in his governance in the next five years," said Ivan Choy, senior instructor of the Government and Political Administration Department under the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Tsang threw himself into the election campaign on Feb. 1, 2007, with the slogan "I'll get the job done!" which soon became the most frequently quoted phrase in Hong Kong.

In his election platform, Tsang promised to fully utilize the advantages of "one country, two systems" to push forward economic development, promote the democratic process, solidify Hong Kong's status as an international metropolis, and establish Hong Kong as the country's international financial center.

"I will lead the government, a government that will become a force for political progress in Hong Kong, a government that will bring Hong Kong into a new era and establish Hong Kong as a dynamic, multicultural and vibrant metropolis," he said in the platform.

On Feb. 16, Tsang submitted to the Electoral Affairs Commission his nomination form. Of the 795-member Election Committee, he secured 641 nominations, far exceeding the minimum limit of 100 nominations and becoming a formal candidate.

Born in 1944, Tsang joined the Civil Service in January 1967 and has been dedicated to government service ever since. He was elected HKSAR chief executive on June 16, 2005 when his predecessor resigned due to health reasons, and was formally appointed by the Central People's Government on June 21, 2005. His current term of office will last until June 30, 2007.

(Xinhua News Agency March 26, 2007)