No let-up for Monetary Authority chief
Widely tipped to stand down this year, Monetary Authority chief Joseph Yam Chi-kwong is bracing himself for one tough Legislative Council battle after another. Already faced with grilling in the inquiry on the Lehman Brothers minibond saga, Mr Yam will find the authority on the Legco agenda again on May 6. League of Social Democrats legislator Albert Chan Wai-yip is to make a motion calling for the replacement of what he deems poor management of the authority. In his original motion, Mr Chan contemplated demanding that Mr Yam step down to take responsibility for the Lehman Brothers saga. While calling for a management overhaul without naming Mr Yam, Mr Chan will demand open recruitment and clear contract terms for the new chief, widely tipped to be Norman Chan Tak-lam, director of the Chief Executive's Office.
Which leader doesn't have a lot on his plate?
Donald Tsang Yam-kuen might have borrowed an all-time favourite slogan of Tony Blair about his wish to follow a 'third way' in leading Hong Kong out of its economic woes. But the chief executive, who met the former British prime minister during his private visit to the city last week, apparently has much more to learn amid pan-democrats' criticisms of his postponing controversial matters, such as constitutional reform, to focus on the economy. 'Here's the thing about being a president or prime minister,' Mr Blair told Political Animal when discussing whether world leaders would neglect the crisis in the Middle East because of the financial crisis. 'Unfortunately, problems don't come sequentially. You can't deal with the economy on Monday, decide to deal with the security issue on Tuesday and climate change on Wednesday; the issues are all there. They're all going to be dealt with simultaneously.'
Silence, so far, on bigger liaison office claims
Despite repeated denials of a political deal between the government and Beijing's liaison office, local deputies to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference are still waiting for an official record of the contentious remarks made by a deputy director of the office, Li Guikang, in a Beijing session last month. Mr Li surprised delegates when he revealed that a 10-point agreement on ways to enlarge the office's role in Hong Kong affairs had been reached. Feeling unsure, if not incredulous, about what they had heard, one deputy has asked for a copy of the remarks. 'Mr Li agreed immediately, but so far, there's no sign of it,' one source said.
