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Tung Chee-hwa has come out in verbal support for Leung Chun-ying.
Opinion
Mr. Shangkong
by George Chen
Mr. Shangkong
by George Chen

Time for C.Y. Leung to take reality check

The chief executive can't simply say he has done nothing wrong in the face of the Occupy protests

One hand cannot clap and in a democratic society, no government can succeed without the trust and support of the people.

For Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, one of his problems is that he doesn't believe he has done anything wrong, ever.

Politics aside, will you accept a person who believes he has always made the right decisions and done great things, and if there is any problem, it is not his but others?

For Leung, it is just difficult for him to reflect on what he could have done wrong and acknowledged it in public.

It is his extreme self-importance towards governance that has contributed to the city's worst political crisis in decades.

Leung just didn't want to admit to any problems even when thousands of protesters lost their patience and decided to occupy the streets to voice their frustrations.

Tung Chee-hwa, the first chief executive after the handover, apparently didn't think Leung had done anything wrong and has come out in verbal support for him.

The Occupy Central movement was tearing the community apart, said Tung, now a vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which advises the central government.

Leung, as the city's top leader, has repeatedly shown his weak governance

He said Leung, who is facing calls to step down by various political groups, students, scholars, the press, and even an influential pro-Beijing legislator, "has done nothing wrong".

We all know Tung has been one of the strongest supporters of Leung. For them, friendship is one thing, but reality is another.

The reality is Leung, as the city's top leader, has repeatedly shown his weak governance, bad decisions and policy missteps since he took office in July 2012, not to mention the worst interview he just did with the foreign media about why the poor shouldn't get more involved in elections.
How can Leung explain the situation in Hong Kong today if not for the governance problem on his side? Just simply blame the so-called "foreign interference"?

Are Hongkongers so simple-minded and naive that they can be easily fooled and influenced by "hostile foreign forces"?

For Leung, Tung and Beijing, it's time to face the reality. Admit your problem and open your heart. Otherwise, no matter how many rounds of dialogues that the students and government may hold, Hong Kong will go nowhere.

The students may have their problems but Leung should be more responsible and wake up to the political reality that he just can't simply escape by saying he has done nothing wrong.

 

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Time for Leung to take reality check
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