By sending CY Leung’s allies packing, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam makes progress in defusing city’s political tensions
The chief executive has tried to drain government advisory committees and statutory bodies of her predecessor’s allies and also appointed some pan-democrats.
In the year she has been in office, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has tried to drain government advisory committees and statutory bodies of the allies of her predecessor Leung Chun-ying.
She has also used the proverbial olive branch several times – nine to be precise. At least that many pan-democrats – traditionally the government’s political competitors – have been appointed there.
The move to reduce partisanship in these groups and organisations is probably part of the reason she has been able to cool the political temperature in the city, which peaked during Leung’s term.
As pledged during her campaign, Lam revamped the government’s influential policy think tank. She renamed it the Policy Innovation and Coordination Office, removed loyalists and launched an open recruitment exercise for young researchers.
When the think tank was still called the Central Policy Unit, Leung invited his close ally Sophia Kao Ching-chi to join as a policy researcher but sources said she actually became a powerful “HR department”, vetting all advisory body appointments.
