Tung Chee-hwa vowed yesterday that embattled housing chiefs Rosanna Wong Yick-ming and Tony Miller would remain in their posts, warning of a vacuum if they were to resign.
Days before a Legco no-confidence vote in the Housing Authority chairwoman and the Director of Housing, Mr Tung said resignations were not the right solution to the deep-seated problems in public housing.
The comments added more heat to the controversy, sparked by a series of piling scandals in public housing projects. Legislators argue that Ms Wong and Mr Miller should resign to take responsibility.
But Mr Tung, speaking at the Legislative Council's question time, offered a robust defence of the pair. His voice raised, Mr Tung said: 'If they were to leave at this critical time, it could result in the emergence of an administrative and legal vacuum in the senior management. What's more - Ms Wong has offered to resign many times. I have managed to keep her on. Amid so much pressure, she may offer to resign again and I may not necessarily be able to retain her.' He acknowledged Ms Wong and Mr Miller were accountable for the spate of scandals, which he described as mistakes made possible by the authority's enormous workload. 'In fact, they have accepted such a responsibility and have apologised along with other Housing Authority members to the public.' But he said the responsibility did not lie solely with the two. 'From a constitutional point of view, as the SAR Chief Executive, I also have to be accountable.' Aides from Mr Tung's office lost no time telephoning lawmakers after the session to ask whether Mr Tung's remarks had helped swing opinion on the no-confidence motion, to be discussed in the Legco meeting which begins on Monday.
Last night, Democrat Fred Li Wah-ming, who is sponsoring the motion, was less optimistic than earlier in the week, when he said it had a 60 per cent chance of success. He said some members who had indicated support appeared to be having a rethink. Others were noncommittal. 'I think the chances are high that my motion will not pass.' He said Mr Tung had given some members an excuse to 'get out of the predicament gracefully' by announcing the setting up of a commission headed by Chief Secretary for Administration Anson Chan Fang On-sang to study how to streamline the housing policy structure.
Non-affiliated Bernard Charnwut Chan, who had said he would support the motion, said last night: 'I will consider backing off a little if the public, especially professionals, have got the message that it's not the case no one has to be held accountable.' Engineer Raymond Ho Chung-tai said he would vote in accordance with his constituents' views.