Chief executive should consider his position, suggests Liberal leader James Tien

Liberal Party leader James Tien Pei-chun suggested yesterday that Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying should perhaps consider resigning after the massive turnout for the July 1 march.

He said the number that took to the streets was inexplicable given the current strong economy and the level of social stability in Hong Kong.

And he said the protest had dealt a severe blow to Leung's administration.

Tien pointed to his own resignation from the Executive Council days after the 2003 march, which saw 500,000 on the streets.

He said there was a combination of factors driving people to take part in the march that year, including discontent with a national security bill, the government's handling of the Sars crisis and a property market slump.

"Now, we have a jobless rate hitting a 16-year low and record high of tourist arrivals. Yet hundreds of thousands of people joined the march without specific negative factors such as those of 11 years ago," Tien said.

"The Leung administration is really having trouble governing.