IS THE NEW ministerial system of government nothing more than another step along the road to authoritarianism, as its opponents allege?
Or is it the golden key that will rescue Hong Kong from a sea of self-doubt and indecision.
Mr Tung's supporters have argued that in his first term he was unable to function effectively because he did not have his own team to help him devise and push through policies. The Chief Executive, they say, was confronted by a civil service that was either unable or unwilling to put his ideas into action, and an obstreperous Legco that had no interest in doing anything other than blocking his policies.
Now, at last, Mr Tung has been able to assemble a team of like-minded men and women who will help implement his policies. This quasi-cabinet will be loyal and accountable to him, will act as an interface with the civil service, and will help win public support for his policies. With this kind of backing, Mr Tung cannot but succeed, supporters of the new system argue.
On the other side of the fence, the Democrats and their supporters say the ministerial system is inherently authoritarian and will serve only to concentrate more power in the Chief Executive and reduce the role the civil service and Legco play as a check on executive power. All of Mr Tung's weaknesses will only be magnified by the new system, since there will be no effective checks and balances, they argue.
The truth is that the new system will neither be a magic formula for better governance, nor a disguised route to a more authoritarian government. If Mr Tung picks the right people, the new system can help to create and implement more coherent policy.