Hong Kong Politician Attacks Executive Leadership

by Mary Swire, Tax-News.com, Hong Kong

28 August 2001

In Hong Kong last week, LegCo (Legislative Council) member Emily Lau mounted a strong attack on Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, saying that although he would no doubt be reappointed next year for another 5-year term, Hong Kong was suffering economic difficulties because of his lack of vision and leadership.

Frontier Party member Lau was speaking on Radio TV Hong Kong's "Letter to Hong Kong" weekly radio talk show. She said that people were "disenchanted and angry" with Tung's economic policies and criticized the political system which meant that "it is almost a foregone conclusion that Mr Tung will be given a second term next year".

Ms Lau said that people have not recovered from the problems of 1997-98: 'In the past few years, there has been very little good news. Property prices continue to fall and the number of bankruptcies has shot up. Many people have been thrown out of work or had their salaries slashed. Ravished by the economic downturn, many people have never felt economically so insecure and vulnerable.'

The Councillor says that high prices are a major cause of economic discomfort: 'Last year Hong Kong's economy grew by 10 per cent, in a sharp rebound from the effects of the Asian financial crisis. But to many people, particularly those with negative assets, there was hardly any improvement. Some of them even think there will never be an end to their economic plight.'

Poiting to a rising unemployment rate and GDP growth that may fall below 1% in 2001, Ms Lau reminded her listeners that both Mr Tung and the financial secretary, Anthony Leung, had said things would get worse.

'In the coming months, the people will once again be asked to tighten their belts and persevere. However such pleas from the administration cut little ice with the disenchanted and angry public. This is because many people think Mr Tung is indecisive and inept, and is the wrong person to lead the SAR [special administrative region] in these troubled times. Furthermore, they think the chief executive is only interested in looking after the welfare of a few property tycoons.'

Pointing out that in most countries the people have a chance to eject unsatisfactory leaders, Ms Lau complained that in Hong Kong there was no such mechanism. 'The people are depressed', she said, 'because they know it is almost a foregone conclusion that Mr Tung will be given a second term next year, when he will be so-called elected by a committee of 800 people. This means he will preside over Hong Kong for another five years.'

Councillor Lau wants the various parties in LegCo to get together and plan ways of improving the economy which they could impose on the executive, but complains that other parties, with the exception of the Democratic Party, don't want to take part in such an initiative.

'Some political parties are not in favour of Legco members working together,' says Ms Lau, 'because they think it would put pressure on the administration. They argue that Mr Tung is already doing something, and the political parties can put forward their suggestions separately.'

Ms Lau lamented that while in the past LegCo had shown itself able to work as a coherent force for change, it didn't seem that the willingness was there on this occasion: 'Legislators' inability to work together this time is disappointing, because it is so desperately needed and because there are areas on which many of us can readily agree. One of them is using money from the fiscal reserves to revitalize the economy. Although many Hong Kong people are poor, the government is rich.'

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