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Anson Chan calls for more openness

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Former chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang has criticised outgoing Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen for not encouraging his subordinates to give honest opinions, which she believes has affected policymaking.

Chan called on the hot favourite to become the next chief secretary, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, to be outspoken when advising incoming leader Leung Chun-ying on policies.

'Tsang does not encourage colleagues to give honest opinions internally,' she told a Commercial Radio programme yesterday. 'As time passes by, [such an attitude] prevails. So the colleagues will know what to do - to avoid giving honest views so as to make their job easier.'

She lamented that whenever something went wrong because of poorly drafted policies, Tsang's subordinates had to take remedial measures. That tended to leave the public with an impression that the government made frequent and unpredictable changes in policies, undermining its authority.

Chan said she hoped Lam, now secretary for development, would analyse the merits and pitfalls of policy proposals for Leung in a frank manner should she be promoted to chief secretary.

Chan occupied the No2 post from 1993 to 2001, first under British colonial rule, then during the administration of Hong Kong's first chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa.

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