Underscoring the importance of governance keeping in step with the times, Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa pledged, in his re-election speech in December 2001, to strengthen co-operation between the executive and the legislature. Together, he said, 'we will better serve the community'.
More than 10 months into his second term, the promise has turned sour with more signs of friction, unease and alienation in relations between the executive and the legislature.
Last Wednesday, officials and pro-democracy groups traded insults in Legco during a debate over a no-confidence motion against Mr Tung. But instead of putting up an elaborate argument against calls for Mr Tung to step down, Constitutional Affairs Secretary Stephen Lam Sui-lung targeted the initiator of the motion, legislator Albert Chan Wai-yip. He hinted that Mr Chan had brought the motion to win over voters in preparation for the next elections.
This, however, was a mere curtain raiser to Mr Tung's question time outburst the following day against the Democrats and their allies. Taking a similar approach to Mr Lam, Mr Tung was economical in his explanation of a decision not to accept Financial Secretary Antony Leung Kam-chung's resignation over the scandal surrounding his purchase of a new car before he introduced tax changes.
Instead, he concentrated on attacking pro-democracy legislators over their refusal to adapt to the political changes following the handover.
Reading from prepared notes, he said: 'You have bad-mouthed Hong Kong for six years, abused the SAR [special administrative region] government for six years, rejected 'one country, two systems' for six years, exhausted every means to abuse me for six years. Rarely do we hear you come up with any constructive proposals.'