It will be business as usual if chief executive-elect Leung Chun-ying's proposed government shake-up fails to be passed by July 1, academics say, while warning that new policies could face delays.
The remarks came as they saw a 'slim chance' for Leung's restructuring plan to be passed before the transition of power, due to an expected lengthy period of lawmaker scrutiny in the Legislative Council.
On Wednesday, People Power lawmakers warned they will put more than 900 motions at the Finance Committee meeting on June 15 and over 100 amendments at the plenary council meeting on June 20 when the proposal is tabled.
Asked what would happen if the restructuring plan was not in place immediately after Leung took office, political scientist Li Pang-kwong said: 'Policy initiatives will definitely be affected, but it won't have much impact on existing policies.'
Leung's proposal includes creating a Culture Bureau, separating housing and transport into two bureaus and combining housing with lands and planning.
'If the [proposed] Culture Bureau has not been set up, the existing Home Affairs Bureau can still be responsible for [cultural] work. It doesn't mean [cultural] work will be stuck,' said Li, an associate professor at Lingnan University. 'But as the Home Affairs Bureau expects that part of their work will be passed over to the [new] Cultural Bureau, it may just do its usual duties and not make any new moves.'
Chinese University political scientist Ma Ngok said the government could still operate even if the new restructure was not in place when Leung took office as chief executive.
