THE PUBLICITY the new ministerial system has received has tended to overshadow two other areas where reform is required if Hong Kong is to have a more efficient system of government. The ministerial system will bring changes to the executive arm of the Government. But in the process two key institutions - the civil service and the legislature - are in danger of being neglected and marginalised. Unless they are also given a clear role to play in the second Tung administration, governance will suffer. The civil service is demoralised and under siege. The once lauded Rolls-Royce is increasingly being made to feel like an overpriced gas-guzzler. At the lower levels, the prospect of pay cuts and a clash between the unions and the Government have led to discontent. At the more senior levels, the absence of any consultation over the details of the ministerial system has caused unhappiness. Senior civil servants were informed of the details of the system just a day before Exco was briefed. Many were left in the dark until late in the day about their own future. Civil servants were reduced to depending on reports in the media to get an idea of the changes. While the civil service will not retain its pre-eminent role, civil servants have a crucial role to play in advising the new ministers, implementing their policies, and administering Hong Kong. The civil service is the element of continuity in the administration, and it has to be made an integral part of the ministerial system. It is important that the new ministers, especially those from outside the civil service, establish a healthy relationship with their new permanent secretaries, and vice versa. Plans to slim down and re-engineer the Government, which are essential to reducing the budget deficit, can only be put together and implemented by the civil service itself. Its co-operation is vital for this project to succeed. The Legislative Council, too, needs to be allowed to play a more meaningful role under the new system. As Tsang Yok-sing, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, pointed out in a recent Post article, debate in Legco proceeds along predictable lines of allegiance, with very little genuine discussion. Mr Tung has made an attempt to build bridges to Legco by inviting Liberal Party chairman James Tien Pei-chun and Mr Tsang, the DAB chairman, into Exco. But there is very little likelihood of a new era of co-operation between Legco and the Government arising out of inviting the two party leaders into Mr Tung's informal cabinet. For one thing, it will only further frustrate the Democrats and others opposed to the Government, who have absolutely no role to play except one of permanent opposition. Second, there is no guarantee that the DAB will continue to automatically support the Government in Legco even if its leader is in Exco. The party will have increasingly to listen to its grassroots supporters as the number of elected seats in Legco increases. The real issue is to find a way to encourage genuine debate in Legco, rather than forcing parties into predetermined positions on which they will not compromise. The eight-party alliance has been an important move towards building cross-party coalitions in Legco around specific proposals. It is important that this process continues under the new system. It would be unfortunate if the elevation of Mr Tien and Mr Tsang to Exco were to reduce the effectiveness of the alliance. In the long run, it is more important for the coalition to develop as an effective channel of communication between Legco and the Government than to have two Legco party representatives on the Executive Council. Thomas Abraham is the Post's Editor
