SCMP Monday, July 3, 2000

System condemned as a wreck
ANGELA LI

The political system is a wreck, according to former legislator Christine Loh Kung-wai. Speaking on RTHK's Letter to Hong Kong, Ms Loh urged top administrators to change with the political culture.

"The Chief Executive and [Chief Secretary for Administration] Mrs [Anson] Chan blame politicians for 'politicising' the issue," she said. "Now they try to frighten us, that by calling senior officials to account, we were making a less than ideal system even worse." She said what was really galling was Mrs Chan's assertion that it would be hard to find a new chairman for the Housing Authority.

Mrs Chan has argued that the no-confidence motion against newly resigned authority chairwoman Rosanna Wong Yick-ming and Director of Housing Tony Miller would deter people from taking up important positions. Last Wednesday, the motion, sponsored by Democrat Fred Li Wah-ming, was easily passed in the legislature's last sitting.

"The fact is Hong Kong's political culture has changed but that of the administrative elite has not. They are being dragged screaming and kicking into a brave new world," Ms Loh said.

She said the Government needed to appoint people on merit rather than pliability.