Majority rule can improve governance

There can be no dispute that Leung Chun-ying's relationship with the legislature is far from satisfactory. Despite efforts to build better ties with political parties, the chief executive has yet to consolidate a firm support base in Legco. Recently, the tension has escalated, so much so that his team even had to struggle for votes from those factions which are traditionally government-friendly. Unless the situation improves, the lack of solid support in Legco will continue to be a major obstacle to good governance.

The view is echoed by Leung's chief strategist. Central Policy Unit chief Shiu Sin-por said a divided Legco had made lobbying more difficult. Referring to the scale of the US congressional liaison office, he said the government should consider setting up a team of officials for the task of lobbying lawmakers.

It doesn't take a veteran political adviser to highlight the need for better lobbying. Whether a special lobbying team will be more effective than individual bureaus is a matter that can be further discussed. But the call for a change from a government insider speaks volumes about the difficulties facing the team. It shows that the addition of another two tiers of political appointees has yet to smooth governance as promised.

It remains unknown whether the government is keen to introduce another shake-up at this stage. What is clear, though, is that the system is hardly sustainable in the long run. Ever since the replacement of top civil servants by political appointees, lobbying has been a political task for ministers and their aides. Whenever a bill or funding request is put to a vote, a handful of appointees from the relevant bureau have to woo support from 70 lawmakers from different factions. The job is not easy.

Until a structural change is in place, the government can only do a better job in selling its proposals. That means reaching out to lawmakers as well as the community in a more proactive way. Our elected representatives are, after all, accountable to their constituents. If officials can keep abreast of the public pulse and win the people's support, resistance in Legco can, hopefully, be reduced.

The ultimate solution lies in developing party politics. The chief executive is not allowed to be a party member, so co-operation with Legco is case by case. Should the leader come from a party with a majority in Legco in future, he can expect to enjoy more solid support for his policies.