Exclusive | Leung Chun-ying set to be elevated to vice-chairman of the CPPCC
City’s leader will become an elder statesman alongside first chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa
Outgoing chief executive Leung Chun-ying is expected to be elevated to the position of vice-chairman of China’s top advisory body next month, following his shock announcement in December that he would not seek a second term as Hong Kong’s leader, according to several well-placed sources.
That would raise the unpopular Leung, who cited family reasons for not running for the top job again, to the position of an elder statesman in the manner of the city’s first chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, who currently enjoys the same status.
Leung will be nominated as a delegate to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the two-day meeting of the Standing Committee on February 27 and 28. He will then be elected CPPCC vice-chairman at the closing ceremony of the advisory body.
A source said it was very likely Leung would be elected CPPCC vice-chairman next month. “It shows Beijing’s high appreciation of Leung’s work in the past five years,” the source said, adding it was unprecedented for a chief executive to serve as CPPCC member or vice-chairman concurrently, but did not breach any laws or regulations.
“It makes sense for Leung to take up the vice-chairman position of the CPPCC. The idea has been floated for some time and it would be strange if that doesn’t happen,” a veteran Hong Kong delegate to the CPPCC said, on condition of anonymity.