Incoming chief executive Leung Chun-ying may cause confusion with his plan to raise the profile of non-official Exco members, Executive Council convenor Ronald Arculli has warned.
Arculli, who is expected to leave Exco after seven years when Leung takes office on July 1, also warned that Leung's proposal to make Exco more active in policymaking could backfire.
He said mix-ups could arise if a non-official member spoke out on policy without consulting the official members - the 12 ministers heading policy bureaus plus the financial and justice secretaries and chief secretary.
'The role of [the non-official members of] Exco is clear. They have an advisory role,' Arculli said.
He is one of the 13 non-official members and succeeded Leung as convenor last year.
'If [a non-official Exco member] stands up and talks and the minister does not know about it, will the [non-official member] be acting against the minister?' he asked, in a veiled attack on Leung, who was criticised for giving views that contrasted with the government's stance when he was convenor.