Leung Chun-ying questions Hong Kong's 'separation of powers' model after controversial remarks by Beijing official
The chief executive yesterday questioned the use of "separation of powers" to describe Hong Kong's political structure, as he broke his silence on controversial remarks by Beijing's top official in the city.
The chief executive yesterday questioned the use of "separation of powers" to describe Hong Kong's political structure, as he broke his silence on controversial remarks by Beijing's top official in the city.
A day after the Bar Association reiterated its support for the legal principle, Leung Chun-ying cited late leader Deng Xiaoping as suggesting that the Basic Law was not written to embody the separation of powers.
Leung said: "The SAR as a local government does not have complete executive power and legislative power ... [It] is not in the broad sense a government that consists of executive, legislative and judicial powers."
While reiterating judicial independence, Leung said: "The Basic Law that we often talk about is a law passed by ... the National People's Congress. Thus, can we superimpose a concept of separation of powers as found in other countries?"