CY Leung's credibility gap yawns as even allies cool on him

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's approval rating has sunk to a new low, and a record high proportion of people are unhappy with the performance of his administration, according to the latest round of a Chinese University tracking poll.

Only 15.8 per cent of respondents were satisfied with the performance of Leung's administration, and 37 per cent of people said they do not trust the government.

Leung's rating is the worst since he succeeded Donald Tsang Yam-kuen as chief executive last July.

Pollsters attributed the poor scores partly to the recent controversy over Secretary for Development Paul Chan Mo-po's land interests.

And Beijing-friendly legislator Wong Kwok-hing, of the Federation of Trade Unions, told Leung not to expect much help from the pro-establishment camp with either Chan's land issue or his dwindling credibility.

Conducted early last week by the university's Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, the telephone poll interviewed 840 people, achieved a response rate of 45.4 per cent, and had sampling error of plus or minus 3.38 per cent.

It found 42.5 per cent of respondents were dissatisfied with the government's performance, up from 38.1 per cent in June.

In the last month of Tsang's term, 49.1 per cent of people expressed dissatisfaction with his government, and only 10.2 per cent expressed satisfaction.

Leung's approval rating sank further in July to a record low of 45.7 points out of a possible 100. It had been 46.2 marks in June.

Wong said: "There is little the pro-establishment camp can do to help. He is the chief executive. He has to face the music himself if he does not perform well enough."