Legislators question sudden move

Last updated at 8.23pm: Lawmakers on Friday paid tribute to Anson Chan Fang On-sang, but some called for a full explanation behind the Chief Secretary For Administration's departure. Speaking after Mrs Chan's afternoon resignation announcement, Democratic Party leader Martin Lee Chu-ming described the resignation as ''very shocking'' and said the fact that she had resigned before her ''finite'' term was up raised serious doubts over the official version of events. ''We are not satisfied that she has given all the reasons for her resignation. We believe she should explain to the people of Hong Kong the full reasons.'' Mr Lee praised Mrs Chan's contribution to Hong Kong, saying she had provided the ''right balance'' at a difficult time in the transition to mainland authority. ''It is very important for her successor to follow her tradition of speaking out whenever necessary.'' Mr Lee declined to say who he hoped would fill Mrs Chan's job. ''If we support Mr A, then Mr A will not get in,'' he said. Tsang Yok-sing, chairman of the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, believed that there was no hidden agenda behind Mrs Chan's resignation. ''I always trust what Mrs Chan says.'' He also felt confident that neither Hong Kong's international image nor civil service morale would be undermined. Referring to Mrs Chan's remark that some people had sowed discord between her and Mr Tung, Mr Tsang stated: ''I have never done that''. He said Mrs Chan was a tough lady and criticism was surely not a decisive factor in her resignation. However, not all in the DAB agreed with their leader. ''It's just that her reasons for resigning are not convincing enough,'' Choy So-yuk said, adding that she did not believe the resignation would have a great impact. The DAB's Chan Yuen-han said she was stunned when she heard the news. ''It was a pity. Although she shared different views from me [on certain issues], she did what she had to do for Hong Kong,'' she said. But for others the resignation came as no surprise. ''Ever since her disastrous visit to Beijing last September, there have been lots of rumours,'' Frontier lawmaker Emily Lau Wai-hing said. Mrs Lau said it was interesting to note that Mr Tsang had been called to Beijing immediately after Mrs Chan's visit, adding that the purpose of his visit was probably to brief him of the possibility that he might take over from Mrs Chan. Mrs Lau also demanded a full and speedy explanation. ''The administration must come out and make its position clear.'' She also urged Mrs Chan to explain the reasons behind her departure after almost 40 years as a civil servant. ''She has her responsibilities. Because at one point [in her career] she declared that she would resign if asked to do something against her conscience. So she has to explain [if that time had come].'' Ms Lau said that she had heard that Mrs Chan's relationship with the Chief Executive had deteriorated to the point that ''they were rowing almost every day''. She said there had been reports that Mrs Chan had told senior central government leaders to choose between her and Mr Tung's senior adviser Andrew Lo Cheung-on. ''Mr Lo is still here,'' Ms Lau said. James Tien Pei-chun, head of the pro-business Liberal Party said in a statement that Mrs Chan's resignation was a pity as she had contributed a whole lot to Hong Kong society. But at the same time, he respected her decision. Mr Tien believed the Government could pick up a suitable person as Mrs Chan's successor from among the civil service and mentioned Financial Secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen as a good candidate. Sould Mr Tsang be appointed, Mr Tien said the business sector was concerned as to who would take his place. The economy still had not yet recovered completely and small and medium enterprises still faced a many challenges. Mr Tien said Mrs Chan's decision would neither affect the morale of the civil servants, nor affect foreign investors's confidence on Hong Kong. Executive Council Convenor Leung Chun-ying sent a message of gratitude on behalf of the council to Mrs Chan for her almost 40 years of service to Hong Kong society. Before her afternoon press conference, Mrs Chan made no comment as she arrived for work as usual at the Central Government Offices. Mrs Chan, whose popularity ratings have been consistently in the high sixties, opened the Customs and Excise Department's Kwai Chung Customhouse at noon as scheduled but did not speak to reporters. Lau Siu-kai, sociology professor at the Chinese University, said he saw no convincing reason for Mrs Chan's departure except for a major clash with Mr Tung. He said the Chief Executive might want to introduce an early change to the top level of the civil service to make it more accountable, before announcing that he would run for a second term of office. ''Mr Tung might want new blood from outside, Mrs Chan might want to retain the policy secretaries,'' he said. The disapproval of Beijing over her work might also be a reason.