Pan-democrats shouldn't push non-cooperation action against the CY Leung administration too far, says former chief secretary Anson Chan. Photo: HKEJ
Anson Chan has some advice for Leung, pan-democrats
Leung Chun-ying should accord top priority to repairing his relationship with the Legislative Council members, former chief secretary Anson Chan said, adding that the chief executive must also try to reflect the views of Hong Kong people through his words and actions.
Chan, who is convenor of the political group Hong Kong 2020, also said at the same time that the pan-democrats must be reasonable when they plan non-cooperation action against the government.
The pan-democrats risk losing public support if they go too far in stalling the government on all legislation, Chan said, according to Ming Pao Daily News.
Lau Siu-kai, vice chairman of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, said the Hong Kong government’s authority has been undermined in the wake of the Occupy protests.
The administration should try to minimize rollout of new policies during Leung’s current remaining term in order to avoid conflicts, Lau suggested, adding that fresh initiatives can come only by seeking support from all parties.
Lau warned that it would be impossible for the administration to introduce major policies or reform, given its low credibility with regard to governance.
Chan, meanwhile, insisted that lack of opportunities and housing problems are not the only factors behind the Occupy protests. The more important reason is Leung’s failure to protect the “one country, two systems” philosophy and Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy, she said.
Only capable and highly respected persons should be appointed as senior officials in the future, Chan said. She did not comment when asked if any changes should be made to the present setup.
Asked about the think tank launched by former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa, which has former Financial Secretary Antony Leung as a director, Chan said the central government should be mindful of the support its candidates have among the people of Hong Kong.
When asked about the prospects of Antony Leung as a candidate for the top job in the 2017 election, Chan said Hong Kong people are smart enough to determine if a candidate is suitable to become the chief executive. People will look at the track record, especially those who had earlier held senior posts, she said.
Hong Kong 2020 will strive to provide suggestions to the government on ways to make the nominating committee for the chief executive election more representative of the society, Chan added.
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