【明報專訊】CAUGHT in the illegal structures scandal, Henry Tang Ying-yen has come up with lies after lies, and now he has no credibility to speak of. Yet he remains adamant in his refusal to quit the race for Chief Executive. According to the latest survey conducted by the University of Hong Kong, more than half of those polled thought Tang should abandon his campaign. Tang should pull back before it is too late and drop his bid so that the public may be spared unnecessary nightmares, and the election, which ought to focus on the candidates' different political platforms, visions and abilities, may not further deteriorate into a political mud wrestling match. If Tang manages to get himself elected on the strength of the "small circle" election system, his election will only prove to be a time bomb for Hong Kong.
．Since the scandal broke last Monday, callers to phone-in radio programmes, netizens, and scholars have almost without exception made it clear that they are not happy with Tang. The public, always wise and discerning, is vocal in its outrage. Hong Kong people are not prepared to buy Tang's equivocations about the illegal structures, and are scandalised by his attempt to shift the blame onto his wife. ．The upcoming Chief Executive election is to be the last "small-circle" election before 2017, when there will be universal suffrage. It is also the first election with real competition within the establishment camp. Many have hoped that this election would be one in which the candidates will try to outdo each other with their political platforms, administrative strategies, visions, abilities, and campaign teams. It was unfortunate that Tang did not release his platform till a few days before the nomination period started, when the illegal structures in his residence finally came to light despite his denials and attempts to cover up the scandal. And now who would be interested in studying or discussing the political platform of a candidate without the slightest vestige of credibility?
．If Tang perseveres with his campaign, he will still be pestered with questions related to the illegal structures: Why do you keep lying? Why don't you quit the race for Chief Executive? Did you break the law? The candidates' political platforms will most unfortunately be relegated to a position of secondary importance. And if Tang wins the "small-circle" election against the will of the public, the illegal structures scandal will certainly not come to an end, but will continue to have its repercussions in the several years to come, with debilitating effects on society as a whole. His election will therefore prove disastrous to Hong Kong.
明報社評 2011.02.17﹕聽聽港人聲音唐應懸崖勒馬
在僭建醜聞中，唐英年謊話連篇、誠信破產，但仍堅持不退選，然而，港大的最新民調顯示，超過一半受訪者認為他應退選。為免這次本應是比政綱、比願景、比能力的特首選舉徹底淪為政治泥漿摔角，為免社會繼續折騰下去，為免唐英年在小圈子操縱下當選而為未來幾年的香港社會埋下炸彈，唐英年應該懸崖勒馬，立即退選。
僭建醜聞自上星期一曝光之後，連續幾天，市民致電電台所表達的意見、網民的反應、學者專家的評論，都一面倒不滿唐英年；公眾的眼睛是雪亮的，港人的聲音是清晰的，市民固然不相信唐英年對僭建醜聞的狡辯，更不齒他「推太太出來頂罪」的做法。
這次是2017年普選前最後一次小圈子特首選舉，更是首次建制派內的真正競逐，本來應該是一次比併政綱、管治策略、願景、能力、團隊的機會，不少人都寄予厚望。可惜唐英年遲至開始提名前幾天才公布政綱，而他一直隱瞞並否認的僭建問題，又在這個時候終於紙包不住火，大家又怎有興趣討論一個誠信破產的參選人的政綱？
唐英年縱使勉強支撐下去，仍會不斷被追問有關僭建的種種問題：為何說謊？何不退選？有否犯法？應有的政綱比併已乏人問津，淪為配菜。唐英年死撐的惡果，遠遠不止於競選期間；若他因小圈子操縱而仍能逆民意當選，未來幾年，僭建醜聞必繼續發酵，沒完沒了，成為社會內耗的重大禍源。一人當選，香港當災。
Glossary
outdo﹕if you outdo somebody, you do something more or better than him/her.
pester﹕to annoy somebody, especially by asking them something many times
relegate﹕to give somebody a lower or less important position, rank, etc than before
聲檔 english.mingpao.com/critic.htm
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