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My Take
Wednesday, 12 December, 2012, 2:50am
CY digs himself an even deeper hole
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Leung Chun-ying just dug a deeper hole for himself. Photo: David Wong
With such an unconvincing performance, he doesn't need critics. The chief executive's appearance in the legislature on Monday was supposed to lay to rest the furore over illegal structures at his homes. In the event, Leung Chun-ying just dug a deeper hole for himself.
It was a no-brainer: act contrite, apologise profusely and prostrate yourself. But, despite five full apologies and 10 admissions of negligence, there were still the obfuscations, conditional qualifications and denials. People didn't want explanations; they wanted him to run the gauntlet and be publicly humiliated. He might have obliged, but in the end, he failed to deliver.
"I did not say I had no illegal structures" was the biggest unforced error of the session. That and other dubious statements he made just gave his enemies more ammunition with which to drag out the controversy.
It does not look like there are enough votes in Legco to pass the no-confidence censure today but the numbers will be close enough to give Leung a big black eye. There will be even less support in the chamber for a formal investigation to impeach him. The bar for impeachment is so high in our system as to make it impossible to unseat him by this route.
But that is also our system's own Achilles' heel. If impeachment were a real possibility, at least there would be an end in sight, like in the case of Bill Clinton. You survive it or you are out. Either way, that would be the end of the matter. In our system, Leung's enemies across the political spectrum can't get rid of him, but they can turn the furore into an indefinite, open-ended melodrama that drags on and on, thereby undermining governance and distracting the Leung administration from doing anything useful.
Granted, you can't really compare our system with the US, which is very different. But there are similarities in both cases. Few neutral and fair-minded people thought Clinton deserved to be impeached for lying about a sex act he received in the Oval Office. It would be hard to argue Leung's illegal structures reach the level of "a serious breach of the law or dereliction of duty" as required by the Basic Law to launch impeachment procedures.
But hey, it's politics! And no one plays fair.
This article first appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition on Dec 12, 2012 as MY TAKE CY digs himself an even deeper hole
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wrath of God ! Dec 12th 2012
9:58pm
9:58pm
a liar is a liar and nothing but a liar if he continues to tell more lies to cover up his former lies. Now it is C.Y.Leung who is the culprit of this scandal---grabbing the top post in town by attacking his election rival,Henry Tang who has an illegal basement built and C.Y.Leung claimed that they were not just illegal structures only but Tang's integrity was broke by telling lies to cover up the illegal structures.Now C.Y.'s luxurious houses at the Peak have also been discovered carrying up to 10 illegal structures (including the one measuring 30 sq.metres basement for the maids) and his Stanley home has been found carrying illegal structures as well. Is his integrity also broke as he denied having any illegal structures at home last May while entertaining reporters home for a visit. He also built an illegal wall to block the illegal basement found at House No.4 last November after registering for the election of Chief Executive. Is his integrity in doubt ? Liar is a liar and a man without integrity can serve as the leader of this international city----our beloved Hong Kong. No wonder, the pan-democrats are demanding his stepping down for his errors made and lies told again and againl.If C.Y.has any sense of shame, he should no longer linger in his post which lets him move in the grand mansion----the Government House, a place he longed to live in ever since his childhood days. Right ?
Camel Dec 13th 2012
1:18am
1:18am
You must be very naive to think that Henry Tang lost his election just because of the reason that he had an illegal construction in his house. Also was it not the lost of his integrity what put him on the losing side. It was the way how he handled his very own crisis and how he act on it. Like a amateur and helpless puppet, not knowing what to say, what to do. His handling of the matter costs him the trust of the selected voters that Henry Tang could be a sovereign leader of this city. The way how he handled his crisis was a desaster, showed his weakness and that he was not his own master. If he can not master his own crisis, how he can master any crisis and problems in Hongkong? Who gives a da..n on illegal constructions in their private backyard, when 99% of HK house owner have those as well? And the house of the illegal basement was even not the property of Henry Tang but his wife and Henry Tang didn't know the full details of the construct. Just for your information and a lesson in Reality. There are NO politician, worldwide, who hadn't have lied once a while. If you can tell otherwise, you must be living in a dreamland. Just name a person who will replace CY. Long hair? Albert Ho? If somebody will dig deep enough they will even find in those persons imperfections and maybe scandals.
Camel Dec 12th 2012
6:10pm
6:10pm
I often ask myself what those Pan-Democrats and "Morality-Officer" have in mind and what is their purpose of being a rep. for the HK society. Their very own war against everyone in the Legco but themself or the constructive build and preparation of HK for the future path? They seemed to find their own quarrels more important then the well being of HK. Did CY lie about the "illegal" construction? No, he didn't. He did only evade discussion and stall direct answers to it. He did not deny it and he did not admit it. That's all. That is what politicians do. Now, the people who demand his dismissals should think for themselve what would be the alternative to CY Leung. Albert Ho? lol. He wouldn't survive one month in the Legco with is often incompetent political statements and point of view. Long Hair and the other self-righteous rascals? Oh my god, if the 21. December is not putting an end to the world as predicted by the Mayans, those rascals will surely do it for HK.
The whole issue is ridiculous and a childish fight like in a kindergarten. Those people should put their strenght and energy in governing HK and not for their own selfish agenda of destruction. I lost fully my respect for them. If it is this what we call democracy then please, postpone it to the next century when Hongkong people eventually grown up and act mature enough like adults. HK government and Legco is like a Kindergarten or better dismiss it.
The whole issue is ridiculous and a childish fight like in a kindergarten. Those people should put their strenght and energy in governing HK and not for their own selfish agenda of destruction. I lost fully my respect for them. If it is this what we call democracy then please, postpone it to the next century when Hongkong people eventually grown up and act mature enough like adults. HK government and Legco is like a Kindergarten or better dismiss it.
Byebye Dec 12th 2012
3:07pm
3:07pm
Can you imagine people like Long Hair, Wong Yuk Man, Chan Wai Yip.... running Hong Kong?
wrath of God ! Dec 12th 2012
11:52am
11:52am
C.Y.Leung not just dug a deeper hole for himself to lie in, but he is digging a grave for himself to lie in as well.His political future is doomed---no chance at all to compete for the top post in town in the coming universal suffarge of our Chief Executive in 2017.How will most Hongkongers with sense welcome a liar-****-cheat old guy to be their future leader ? Of course not ! He can now struggle to surface on the hot water until his tenure ends in 2017 while staunchly supported by his boss in Beijing and those in the Liaison Office in Western district of Hong Kong Island. Right ?
ianson Dec 12th 2012
8:00am
8:00am
Welcome back into the debate you so roundly rubbished and derided only days ago, Mr Lo. It is refreshing to see you recant, recognising the importance of the subject and producing a sensible, even-handed comment for once.
maecheung Dec 12th 2012
7:56am
7:56am
"Leung's enemies across the political spectrum can't get rid of him, but they can turn the furore into an indefinite, open-ended melodrama that drags on and on, thereby undermining governance and distracting the Leung administration from doing anything useful."
You hit the point right ON! That's exactly what these elected lawmakers want to do is to prevent the administration, whether it be Leung or someone else, from doing anything useful for us, HK citizens. And we want universal suffrage? The legco will be filled with people like Long Hair, Wong Yuk Man, Chan Wai Yip and company, and nothing constructive will be done for sure.
You hit the point right ON! That's exactly what these elected lawmakers want to do is to prevent the administration, whether it be Leung or someone else, from doing anything useful for us, HK citizens. And we want universal suffrage? The legco will be filled with people like Long Hair, Wong Yuk Man, Chan Wai Yip and company, and nothing constructive will be done for sure.
John Adams Dec 12th 2012
4:28am
4:28am
Late in the afternoon, the Chief Legislators with the elders and scribes and the whole Council, immediately held a consultation; and summoning CY, they delivered Him to the LEGCO.
They questioned Him, “Are You a pawn of the NPC? Did you build a trellis in your garden and even not tell us about it?”
And He answered them, “It is as you say now I think about it, but what the ****, I’m now elected CE instead of the awful tycoon-stooge /spoilt rich-kid Tang, who had huge TOTALLY illegal pleasure palace in his basement which all his tycoon friends knew about but never split on him, so why are you fussing about a tiny bricked-up cellar which I never used anyway ?”
The Pan-Democrats began to accuse Him harshly.Then they questioned Him again saying, “Do You not answer? See how many charges they bring against You!”
But CY made no further answer; so they were amazed.
Answering again, the Convenor said to them, “Then what shall I do with Him whom you call the Chief Executive ?”
They shouted back “Crucify Him!”
But the Convenor said to them “Why, what evil has He done?”
But they shouted all the more, “Crucify Him!”
Wishing to satisfy vested interests:the pro-dems, civics and all other BS-ers, the Convenor called for a vote and said “Lo, you do not have the remotest chance of crucifying Him, so piss off and get back to your chambers, your writs and your frothing. I f**t in your general direction.”
(Mark 16 – Hong Kong Revised Standard Version)
They questioned Him, “Are You a pawn of the NPC? Did you build a trellis in your garden and even not tell us about it?”
And He answered them, “It is as you say now I think about it, but what the ****, I’m now elected CE instead of the awful tycoon-stooge /spoilt rich-kid Tang, who had huge TOTALLY illegal pleasure palace in his basement which all his tycoon friends knew about but never split on him, so why are you fussing about a tiny bricked-up cellar which I never used anyway ?”
The Pan-Democrats began to accuse Him harshly.Then they questioned Him again saying, “Do You not answer? See how many charges they bring against You!”
But CY made no further answer; so they were amazed.
Answering again, the Convenor said to them, “Then what shall I do with Him whom you call the Chief Executive ?”
They shouted back “Crucify Him!”
But the Convenor said to them “Why, what evil has He done?”
But they shouted all the more, “Crucify Him!”
Wishing to satisfy vested interests:the pro-dems, civics and all other BS-ers, the Convenor called for a vote and said “Lo, you do not have the remotest chance of crucifying Him, so piss off and get back to your chambers, your writs and your frothing. I f**t in your general direction.”
(Mark 16 – Hong Kong Revised Standard Version)
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