CY Leung’s popularity at new low after policy address

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying’s maiden policy address failed to boost his popularity rating, as it plunged to a new low in the latest Chinese University poll.

In the monthly survey conducted by the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, Leung’s rating in January has dropped by 2.5 points to 46.4 points – a record low since he won the election in March last year.

As well, more than 38 per cent of 781 respondents said they were dissatisfied with the government’s performance, an increase of 3.5 percentage points when compared to the December figure.

But academics warned that Leung could face an even tougher political situation as the poll sample was conducted before Lew Mong-hung, a former staunch supporter of Leung, accused the chief executive of offering him a seat in the Executive Council in exchange for Lew supporting the chief executive’s election bid.

Lew made the accusation in an interview published by weekly current affairs magazine iSun Affairs last Thursday. In it, he said Leung offered him the Exco position last March.

Lew, a Hong Kong delegate to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, in the same interview also accused the chief executive of lying over his handling of the illegal structures in his houses.

The head of the Independent Commission Against Corruption on Monday declined to comment whether it was investigating the chief executive over Lew’s accusation that Leung had offered him the Exco seat for his support during the election.