Update | University of Hong Kong governance ‘destroyed by delayed appointment of liberal scholar to key role’

The University of Hong Kong’s ruling body has “destroyed the university’s governance” by delaying the appointment of a liberal scholar to a senior managerial post, former Ming Pao chief editor Kevin Lau Chun-to criticised in an article today.

Lau also said he understood that the central government’s liaison office in Hong Kong and local government officials were involved in a meeting among the university council’s chairman and some “pro-establishment” council members, before the council voted 12-6 on June 30 to defer discussion on the issue until a supervisory post was filled.

The scholar concerned in the controversy was the university’s former law dean Johannes Chan Man-mun, who is widely tipped to be appointed to the position of pro-vice-chancellor.

Ever since Chan’s candidacy became known late last year, he has been under attack from pro-Beijing newspapers, mainly for his working relationship with Occupy Central co-founder Benny Tai Yiu-ting. Both are HKU law academics.

Writing on the matter for the second time in two months, Lau – a 1987 HKU law graduate who became a symbol of the fight for press freedom after being injured in a triad-style attack last year – described the delay in appointment as part of “a series of power struggles”.

“In the morning [of June 30], Council Chairman Dr Leong Che-hung had breakfast in a private clubhouse … and several councillors, who are either pro-establishment lawmakers or delegates to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, took turns to show up and discussed [how many] votes they had secured in the council,” Lau said.