Posted on 06/20/2002 8:32:35 AM PDT by tallhappy
Hong Kong lawmakers approve radical government changes
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong lawmakers have approved the most sweeping changes to the territory's government structure since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule.
After more than five hours of debate, legislators voted 36 to 21 late on Wednesday to back the creation of a new layer of political appointees who will assume key portfolios, formulate policy and report directly to the territory's chief executive.
The appointees will run the civil service, a move observers say will tighten Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa's grip on the city.
Tung's office said on Thursday he had given his nominations for the 14 "principal officials" to Beijing for approval.
"An announcement early next week is expected, after the Central Peoples' Government has made the appointments," a spokeswoman for Tung's office said in a statement.
Critics say Tung, who was not popularly elected and who owes his position to support from Beijing, will field only yes-men and his hold on power will ultimately mean more control for Beijing over Hong Kong, which was promised a high level of autonomy under Chinese rule.
The government unveiled the plan in April and wanted it in place by July 1, the fifth anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to China and the start of Tung's second five-year term.
Four legislators stormed out of the chamber at the start of the debate on Wednesday, saying the government was trying to bulldoze the bill through the legislature. Seven amendments suggested by the pro-democracy camp were voted down.
Two minor amendments which did not dilute the bill were similarly struck down on Thursday.
The 14 ministers will be directly accountable to Tung and can only be fired by him, which Tung argues would make his administration more accountable.
Top civil servants are currently insulated from any fallout from poor policy decisions. They can only be sacked in the most extreme circumstances, for instance having a criminal conviction.
But critics question if there can be any real accountability in the new system when neither Tung nor the 14 were popularly elected, and when the 14 are accountable to nobody but Tung.
The mass-circulation Apple Daily lambasted the new structure in an editorial on Thursday entitled: "Messy accountability system: All Hong Kong people should stage a walkout protest."
"Even if these new ministers, who are meticulously picked by Tung, should commit grievous political mistakes, and even if they are held in doubt by the public and legislators, they can still preserve their positions and continue pushing erroneous policies," the newspaper said.
Tung is known to have lamented privately that the civil service resists change and takes too long to implement his decisions. He has not outlined his agenda for the next five years, but his new team is expected to focus on reviving the economy, which is struggling to emerge from its second recession in just four years.
Another of Tung's top priorities is to encourage innovation and technology in the years ahead.
Lawmakers have already given the go-ahead for an extra HK$43 million (US$5.5 million) a year to support the 14 positions.
Two recessions in 4 years...
"HK was was promised a high level of autonomy under Chinese rule."
Yep, same as the mainlanders enjoy. :)
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