Since winning the election, chief executive-elect Leung Chun-ying has been ramping up efforts to raise his popularity. He has conducted numerous district visits and has sought to resolve the problem of a heath-care system overloaded by mainlanders giving birth in Hong Kong, though he has yet to provide any details.
But he still hasn't made clear who will be in his administration.
Leung is excellent at promoting himself. According to the University of Hong Kong, his approval rating jumped from 38per cent to 46per cent in just two weeks following the election. In other words, he has won more public acceptance without actually doing any solid work. It shows that Leung is a shrewd politician; he knows how to go along with, or even manipulate, public opinion.
For example, he knows that the public wants the popular secretary for development, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, to take over as chief secretary. So, to please the masses, he has sent out signals that she is likely to be first choice for the post. If Lam's appointment is approved by the central government, it will no doubt boost Leung's popularity. But if Beijing prefers to keep the unpopular Stephen Lam Sui-lung as chief secretary, Leung will not be blamed.
Both Beijing and Leung know Hong Kong needs a strong governing team, but the reality is that Leung is incapable of gathering a group of talented people to join the administration.
The public expects the Leung administration to find solutions to social conflicts. But this can't be done without qualified people. Yet Leung cannot attract enough of the right people to join him, partly because Hong Kong lacks political talent. I seriously doubt he can fill all the posts in an expanded team of five top secretaries and 14 bureau secretaries.