Lawmakers yesterday unanimously called on Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa to report to the legislature over his recent duty visit to Beijing.
They also want to set up a system for him to brief lawmakers every time he makes these visits.
The proposal by Democratic Party chairman Yeung Sum received cross-party support without debate at the Legco house committee meeting, an unusual departure from meetings where parties normally attack each other over agenda and operational matters.
Only two pro-democracy legislators spoke on the topic. Lee Cheuk-yan of the Confederation of Trade Unions called on Mr Tung to be more transparent and accountable to the legislature, while Emily Lau Wai-hing of The Frontier said the public would be suspicious if Mr Tung did not report on the details of his talks with state leaders.
Since the handover, Mr Tung has only attended Legco question and answer sessions a few times a year, regardless of the timing of his duty visits. He has not followed the practice of colonial governors who attended Legco meetings regularly and briefed legislators after duty visits to London.
Speaking after the meeting, Dr Yeung said he was surprised that his proposal was supported, especially by the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong, which also made a U-turn against a government proposal over cuts on education spending.