Exco members ordered to inform government of all forthcoming media interviews
Councillors required to fill in forms giving time and date of their media engagements in new arrangementaimed at 'better coordination'
Executive councillors must fill in forms stating the details of their forthcoming media interviews on a weekly basis under a new arrangement introduced after the start of Occupy Central to "better coordinate" their interaction with the media.
The forms, prepared by the Executive Council Secretariat, have columns for time and date of interviews to be given by Exco members in the coming week, as well as names of the media organisations concerned.
The arrangement applies to non-official members while official members, or ministers, have been reporting their planned media interviews to the government.
A person familiar with the situation said the practice was introduced in early October, shortly after the civil disobedience movement started.
Ray Yep Kin-man, a professor with City University's department of public policy, believed the government intended to remind Exco members that it attached great importance to their remarks. "The subtle message it wants to send is that executive councillors should speak as a member of the governing team," he said.