FANNY W. Y. FUNGfanny.fung@scmp.com
PUBLISHED : Friday, 24 October, 2014, 5:32pm
UPDATED : Friday, 24 October, 2014, 9:09pm
Leung Chun-ying arrives at a private event on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
A prominent pro-establishment party leader has called on Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to take responsibility for Hong Kong's political crisis and resign.
"Citizens are ignoring court injunctions and pan-democrats are staging their non-cooperation movement. How is he going to govern in the remaining three years of his term?" asked James Tien Pei-chun, head of the Liberal Party and a long-time critic of Leung.
Tien was referring to the continued presence on main roads in Hong Kong of pro-democracy protesters, despite the granting of High Court injunctions to clear some streets, and a campaign by opposition lawmakers to block all non-essential government spending.
"Even the Legislative Council has become a 'rubbish council' now," he said.
"There is nothing [Leung] can do now. Should he not consider tendering his resignation to the central government?" the pro-Beijing lawmaker added.
However, Tien said his party would not support a motion of no confidence against Leung if one were tabled by pan-democrats, adding that his call for Leung's resignation was his "personal advice" for the chief executive.
Tien said he had not discussed the matter with his party.
His brother and Legislative Council colleague Michael Tien Puk-sun, vice-chairman of the New People's Party, said that Leung still had work to do and there was "no need" for him to quit early.
"He has set the first official poverty line for Hong Kong, and [has been] grabbing land to build flats...[Leung] is just being arrogant. If one has to resign just because he is arrogant, then who can be a perfect candidate to do the job?" Michael Tien asked.
Pro-democracy street protests are in their fourth straight week in Hong Kong. Many protesters have called for Leung to step down, and for Beijing to allow an open election of the next chief executive, an option the central government has ruled out.
Tam Yiu-chung, chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, the largest pro-Beijing party in the city, said he believed James Tien's call reflected his poor relationship with Leung.
"Everyone knows James Tien does never liked Leung Chun-ying all along. It is not surprising for him to make such a call when there is an opportunity," Tam said.
Tien was a supporter of Leung's rival Henry Tang Ying-yen during the chief executive election race two years ago and has been critical of Leung in the past.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1623832/liberal-party-leader-james-tien-calls-cy-leung-resign
