Ronny Tong speaks to RTHK's Janice Wong
The founder of the Path of Democracy think-tank, Ronny Tong, has accused the director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Hong Kong, Zhang Xiaoming, of worsening relations between Beijing and Hong Kong.
Tong was referring to Zhang’s controversial comments over the weekend that the chief executive has a higher authority than the executive, judicial and legislative branches of government; and that the separation of powers was a concept that should only serve as a reference to the city, as it usually applies to sovereign states.
Tong said it was "inexplicable" and "somewhat disappointing" that Zhang had apparently tried to stir up an emotional debate between pro-Beijing forces and the pan-democrats.
The former Civic Party legislator said it was Zhang’s job to improve relations between Beijing and Hong Kong, and in particular the pan-democrats. "He really shouldn’t be trying to get the pan-democrats to become more and more confrontational", Tong added.
But a member of the Basic Law Committee, Maria Tam, downplayed Zhang's comments, saying she believed he was simply trying to "explain the differences" between checks and balances and the separation of powers.
Pan democrats had reacted angrily to Zhang’s comments, with Civic Party leader Alan Leong saying they effectively elevate the chief executive’s status to that of an "emperor".
Tong was referring to Zhang’s controversial comments over the weekend that the chief executive has a higher authority than the executive, judicial and legislative branches of government; and that the separation of powers was a concept that should only serve as a reference to the city, as it usually applies to sovereign states.
Tong said it was "inexplicable" and "somewhat disappointing" that Zhang had apparently tried to stir up an emotional debate between pro-Beijing forces and the pan-democrats.
The former Civic Party legislator said it was Zhang’s job to improve relations between Beijing and Hong Kong, and in particular the pan-democrats. "He really shouldn’t be trying to get the pan-democrats to become more and more confrontational", Tong added.
But a member of the Basic Law Committee, Maria Tam, downplayed Zhang's comments, saying she believed he was simply trying to "explain the differences" between checks and balances and the separation of powers.
Pan democrats had reacted angrily to Zhang’s comments, with Civic Party leader Alan Leong saying they effectively elevate the chief executive’s status to that of an "emperor".
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1211233-20150914.htm
