The University of Hong Kong's governing council should be revamped in the wake of the Robert Chung Ting-yiu controversy, the students' union said yesterday.
Gloria Chang Wan-ki, union president, was speaking after the council refused to endorse or reject the report by the panel that investigated the controversy.
Vice-chancellor Professor Cheng Yiu-chung and pro-vice-chancellor Professor Wong Siu-lun quit on Wednesday over the report's findings that they tried to stop Dr Chung carrying out polls on the Government's performance and Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa's popularity.
Ms Chang said that most of the council members who opposed a vote on the report were from outside the university. Twenty-eight of the council's 52 members are drawn from the community.
'It's irresponsible behaviour [that no decision was made on whether to accept the report] . . . We've spent so much money, so much time and so many human resources to set up a panel inquiry but the council had opted to take an ambivalent attitude. It's an affront to the reputation of the university,' she said.
Ms Chang called for a review of the council's composition. She said more university teaching staff and students should be represented.
The Democratic Party criticised the council for 'evading its responsibility' and urged the council to convene another meeting to discuss and adopt the report. The party said: 'The panel has the responsibility to give an account to those involved in the saga, especially Dr Robert Chung and the public.'
