CY Leung sidesteps questions on where he vetoed HKU honorary degree nominations
As chief executive sidesteps questions about whether he overruled any HKU nominations, a university council member demands answers
Did Leung Chun-ying interfere in the University of Hong Kong's administration? The guessing game continues as the chief executive last night declined to give a straight answer to questions on whether he vetoed nominations by a HKU committee for honorary degrees.
Leung was grilled by the media on a Ming Pao report, which, quoting sources in Polytechnic University's council, said Leung had told the council at a recent luncheon that he, as the HKU chancellor, had crossed out some names recommended by the its honorary degrees committee.
"I cannot comment on any cases [I have dealt with] in public office. But what I can say is that as the chief executive or as the chancellors [of universities], I have been following the relevant universities' ordinances in carrying out my duties," Leung said.
Under the HKU Ordinance, honorary degrees "may be conferred as the chancellor thinks fit on the recommendation" of the nominating body.
When asked whether the chancellor was allowed to ban nominations, Leung replied: "Not only me, but the previous chief executives and even the governors before the handover have been following the relevant ordinances in doing the job."
Chairman of the honorary degrees committee, David Li Kwok-po, and a HKU spokeswoman declined to comment.
But the spokeswoman said Henry Hu Hung-lick, the founder of Shue Yan University, was the only local to be awarded the honour next month. HKU has given the honours to between four and seven people in each exercise in the past four years.