Shadow rule under fire from all sides
PRO-DEMOCRACY and pro-China politicians yesterday united in condemnation of the proposed shadow government.
Democratic Party leader Martin Lee Chu-ming said: 'It is the most shocking comment made by a Preliminary Working Committee member I have ever heard. Frankly, I can't see how it can work.
'How can one government and one legislature become two? Are they going to say the decision we make on Wednesday [in the Legislative Council] will be rejected on Thursday? 'What if the two batches of government officials have different opinions? Do they want to make the senior officials paranoid?' he said.
Liberal Party leader Allen Lee Peng-fei accused Sir Sze-yuen Chung, who disclosed news of the plan on Tuesday, of making 'thoughtless remarks,' and said his proposal was difficult to understand.
'Discussion of legal issues can take place before the changeover, but there should be no overlapping power centres in early 1997,' he said.
Ip Kwok-him, a legislator from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, spoke against the creation of another power centre, saying there should not be any confusion over who civil servants were accountable to.
Frederick Fung Kin-kee, of the Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood, said the proposal was destructive and vowed to oppose it.
Legislator Cheng Yiu-tong, a local delegate to the National People's Congress, said he had never heard of the idea.
It was 'understandable' the chief executive-designate would have a team to help preparatory work, he said, 'but there should not be another power centre. The power to rule will still be with the Government'.
Independent Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee said China was obliged to clear the air.
'At this stage, I don't know how true and how firm this proposal is and from what position Sir Sze-yuen made this suggestion or announcement. We need a lot of clarification.
'There is potential for great chaos, unease and uncertainty,' she said.
Emily Lau Wai-hing said it was a recipe for disaster. 'It will be bad for business. It will be bad for stability. It will cause conflict for civil servants.' But PWC member Professor Lau Siu-kai said he was surprised by the strong reaction, because 'everybody knows there will be two centres of power' after the chief executive-designate is chosen and the two would try to avoid confrontation.
PWC colleague Tam Yiu-chung said the secretariat would not become a power centre although it would be 'influential'.
He believed the secretariat would be mainly composed of incumbent government policy secretaries, civil servants and the executive councillors-designate - but not mainland officials.
