Provisional urban councillors admitted yesterday that their image had been tarnished since the argument over the design of the Central Library. After the Democratic Party's Szeto Wah tabled a motion urging the council to improve its image, eight of his colleagues took turns to criticise aspects of the body - from chairman Dr Ronald Leung Ding-bong using two votes in the library dispute to the lack of order at meetings. 'A chairman is like a director of an orchestra,' said Mr Szeto. 'He can't come down and hit the maracas at one time and play the violin at another.' Dr Leung, who voted in favour of the original design in a special standing committee meeting on August 8, cast the deciding vote when the outcome was split 21-21 and ended further debate. Democrat Fred Li Wah-ming also said the chairman had to be fair and objective. 'In countries like Britain and Canada the chairman of Parliament can't cast two votes. They are also democratically elected,' Mr Li said. He chided some councillors for disrupting council proceedings. 'Some are reading newspapers and chatting on their cellular phones.' But Chung Shu-kun of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong said Mr Li was one of the councillors who misbehaved. 'Some newspapers have taken his picture writing greeting cards during meetings,' Mr Chung said. 'Why was the Urban Council never criticised until many Democratic Party members joined it?' The motion was passed by the majority of councillors.
