Give new political appointees time to prove themselves
Chief Executive Carrie Lam has moved fast to fill the top ranks in government and it is only to be expected that some of her appointments will draw fire
Hong Kong’s accountability system is still a work in progress. Introduced in 2002 and further expanded in 2007, the three-tier governance structure is supposed to make top policymakers more responsive to public aspirations while nurturing more political talent in preparation for a fully elected government in the future. Regrettably, years have passed and there is still much room for improvement.
It is worth noting that some of the new appointees served at the lower ranks in the previous administration. For instance, Casper Tsui Ying-wai and Bernard Chan Pak-li were elevated from political assistants to undersecretaries in the Labour and Welfare Bureau and Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, respectively. Earlier, undersecretary Sophia Chan Siu-chee succeeded Ko Wing-man as the new secretary for food and health. The government is apparently trying to show that the system did groom political talent. But with other appointees having opted out of politics after serving out their terms, better efforts are needed to nurture more talent.