OpinionPolitical reform in Hong Kong could begin with a revamp of the ‘peripheral’ Executive Council
- An Exco member’s revelation that the chief executive turned down their offer to resign en masse, on the grounds that the council merely gives advice, raises questions about its function, membership and whether meetings need to be confidential
Here’s how Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor responded to the extraordinary piece of political news, according to Ip: she rejected the idea because Exco was only on the “periphery, merely giving advice”.
This is a shocking revelation about the nature of the Exco. It is interesting to learn that these advisers sit only on the sidelines, almost like a detached group of spectators, albeit with front-row seats. They meet almost weekly, but they play no part in, well, anything – at least, that’s how the chief executive sees it.
This naturally leads to the question: what role does Exco play in the whole business of “Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong”? Do they just meet to chat about the weather?
Their Tuesday mid-morning meetings have been almost the only opportunity for Hongkongers to see the chief executive in person since June. En route to chairing the Exco meeting, Lam briefly meets the press, gets grilled on the same issues and has the opportunity to mouth off the same non-answers before running off to see her cabinet members.
