Former secretary for security Regina Ip yesterday pledged to come back for the 2008 Legislative Council (LegCo) election after her defeat in the Hong Kong Island geographical constituency by-election on Sunday.

Anson Chan, former chief secretary for administration, won the by-election with 175,874 votes or 54.6 percent of the 321,938 valid votes counted. Ip got 137,550 votes (42.7 percent).

During a Thank-You tour of Hong Kong Island yesterday afternoon, Ip expressed gratitude to her supporters, saying that she would run for next year's LegCo election.

"Although I am a bit disappointed, I feel glad to have secured over 140,000 votes or 45 percent of the votes," she said.

The SAR government yesterday congratulated Chan on her victory. She will be sworn in as a Member of the Legislative Council in today's plenary meeting. She will occupy the vacant seat of Ma Lik, the late chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.

Sunday's election process had been very smooth and was held in an open, fair and honest manner, said Justice Pang Kin-kee, chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission.

(China Daily December 4, 2007)